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Thirty-nine speakers packed roughly two and a half hours of testimony into a Jan. 3 public hearing, urging Virginia lawmakers to direct the state’s $2 billion surplus toward disability services, aging programs, schools, housing, workforce development and other needs.

The Northern Virginia hearing was one of four regional sessions held by the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations Committee on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed changes to the 2024-2026 biennial budget.

House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian, a Prince William Democrat, said the hearing offered lawmakers an opportunity to learn about issues they might not have previously considered. Each registered speaker received three minutes to testify.

Families Seek Relief From Caregiving Strain

Much of the testimony centered on Virginians with disabilities and the workers and relatives who care for them. Speakers raised concerns about Medicaid waiver reimbursement rates, low wages for home care providers and a developmental disability waiver waiting list containing more than 15,000 names.

Andy Rankin described the constant care required by his daughter, saying his family has struggled to recruit and retain attendants. At one point, he became her paid caregiver.

Under current rules, families may lose paid respite hours when a legally responsible relative serves as the paid attendant. Rankin urged lawmakers to change that policy so parents can obtain short-term relief from caregiving duties.

“Parents need and deserve respite,” he said.

Fairfax resident Jessica Hubbard delivered a similar message. Her daughter, Ainsley, has autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, ADHD and anxiety, and does not communicate through speech.

Hubbard said the Medicaid waiver has made life possible for her family, but finding qualified caregivers remains extremely difficult because the work is complex and the pay is low. As a single working mother, she sometimes must become the caregiver herself, potentially jeopardizing respite benefits.

She asked legislators to support The Arc of Northern Virginia’s priorities, including a study of core services, funding to launch new providers and a plan to ensure respite care remains available to families.

Paul Gallagher, representing Chantilly-based CRi, formerly Arlington Community Residences Inc., said Virginia’s surplus could help stabilize the workforce serving people with developmental disabilities. CRi provides developmental disability, mental health and youth services.

Gallagher said funding constraints force providers into a daily balancing act, while direct-care professionals frequently work two or three jobs to cover their expenses.

Home Care Workers Demand Higher Pay and Bargaining Rights

Tammie Wondong Ware, president of the SEIU Virginia 512 Fairfax Chapter executive board, said many families face unaffordable health insurance, food, rent and utility costs. She noted that while Virginia has been ranked highly for business, Oxfam America placed it 26th for working people.

Ware called for collective bargaining rights that would give care providers a voice in decisions affecting their jobs.

Virginia SEIU 512 President LaNoral Thomas said home care providers save the state millions of dollars, yet most were earning less than $15 an hour in 2025.

“There is not a shortage of providers; there’s a shortage of home care providers who can afford to work for pennies,” Thomas said.

She asked legislators to approve collective bargaining rights for public employees, including home care providers, and repeal a 16-hour cap that limits the care workers can provide.

Michael Thomas, board president of The Arc of Northern Virginia in Merrifield, focused on the state’s developmental disability waiver waiting list. Because applicants are prioritized by the severity of their needs rather than by the date they applied, some families can remain in limbo for years or decades.

Thomas requested $250,000 to study a system of basic, efficient and relatively inexpensive core services for people who do not receive developmental disability assistance while awaiting a waiver. Such a program could offer families regular breaks and access to case managers who can connect them with other resources.

Aging Population Drives Calls for More Support

Terry Lynch sought an additional $4.35 million for the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The state’s 25 agencies provide services including personal and in-home care, transportation, meals, case management, Medicare counseling and a long-term care ombudsman.

Lynch said Virginia’s total population is projected to grow 22% by 2050, while its population age 60 and older is expected to rise 69%. The number of residents 85 and older is projected to more than quadruple.

Jane King, representing the Northern Virginia Aging Network, asked the state to supplement the minimum monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit. She proposed adding $27 to the $23 federal minimum, bringing the total to $50 per month.

King said other states supplement the federal benefit and cited North Carolina’s experience suggesting that SNAP participation can help reduce Medicaid expenses.

Carol Paquette, founder of Arlington Neighborhood Village, called for funding to expand Virginia’s network of community villages, which help older adults remain safely in their homes while maintaining social connections.

Citing warnings about the cognitive and physical health consequences of social isolation, Paquette supported budget amendments sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell and Del. Paul Krizek to broaden access to village programs.

Katie Schnitter and Henry Siglio also sought additional funding for Brain Injury Services and emphasized the need to retain its workforce.

Schools, Housing and Wildlife Crossings Join the Debate

Other speakers brought lawmakers a wide range of requests.

John Luci of the Arlington Chamber supported workforce development and child care funding. Cheryl Binkley criticized Youngkin’s proposed budget changes and sought greater investment in public schools and dual-enrollment programs.

Derek Max backed an extension of the standard deduction, opportunity scholarships for low-income students and the governor’s car tax proposal.

Habitat for Humanity Virginia Executive Director Overton McGee urged lawmakers to restore funding for mobile home park residents and down-payment assistance.

Dr. Jessica Roberts of Arlington, Wild Virginia’s director of habitat connectivity, pressed for money to construct wildlife crossings. She said roads fragment important habitats and vehicles kill native animals throughout the state.

Virginia experiences more than 60,000 deer-vehicle crashes annually, Roberts said, with each incident carrying an estimated $41,000 in government and personal costs, according to the Virginia Transportation Research Council.

Budget Fight Unfolds Under Narrow Democratic Majorities

Youngkin presented his proposed amendments to the General Assembly’s money committees on Dec. 18. His plan addressed tax reductions, education, economic growth, workforce development, public health and law enforcement. It also proposed withholding money from localities that restrict or decline cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Surovell, Sen. Barbara Favola, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Krizek and Del. David Reid attended the Northern Virginia hearing, which began shortly after 10 a.m. and ended about two and a half hours later.

The General Assembly opened its 2025 session on Jan. 8 but immediately recessed until the following Monday because of the aftermath of winter storm Blair. Lawmakers faced decisions over both the surplus and Youngkin’s 240 proposed budget amendments.

Those negotiations came after three Jan. 7 special elections that left Democrats with narrow majorities in the House of Delegates and Senate, while Republicans retained the governor’s office.

Democrats won two vacant Loudoun County seats. The Senate District 32 position opened when Suhas Subramanyam was elected to Congress, while House District 26 became vacant after its Democratic incumbent resigned upon winning the nomination for that Senate seat.

A third vacancy was in the heavily Republican Senate District 10 west of Richmond. Republicans would have needed to capture all three seats to gain control of both legislative chambers.

With Democrats retaining their majorities, the party remained positioned to pursue priorities such as increased K-12 education spending while rejecting or revising budget amendments it opposed.