Richmond, VA -  New Virginia Majority issued the following statement on Passage of Budget Amendment Package.

Tram Nguyen, Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority:

Our state budget is a moral document that lays bare our priorities and underscores who and what we value. The General Assembly has adopted a budget package that includes an additional $4 million for affordable housing and an end to driver’s license suspensions due to unpaid court fines and fees. Over 600,000 Virginians will no longer have to worry about whether they can get to work, school, or other activities just because they can’t afford to pay fines and fees.

While we applaud these victories for affordable housing and driver's license access, we are disappointed by the Senate vote to reject $1.5 million in critical funding for Census outreach. This would have been a modest move toward ensuring a fair and accurate Census count, particularly among people of color and other hard-to-count communities. An inaccurate count risks millions of inadequate funding for things like neighborhood schools, health centers, and other community programs.

We celebrate what we've won, but continue the fight to make sure our communities are resourced and represented in the halls of government -- from here in Richmond to Washington, D.C., and all over Virginia

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New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization, and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable.