Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin established "Team Virginia" during his message for the Joint Assembly of the state as a means to serve the people better through a "partnership" with the people.
"We're all part of Team Virginia. And as I shared on Saturday, we can take inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King's life which we celebrate today and his words that 'we may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.' The work we have to do, we must do together," Youngkin said, addressing the two legislative bodies on Monday.
Youngkin, who was sworn in on Saturday, January 15, said that having a team was necessary for Virginians to be able to "turn the page" from "years of fractured politics, a deadly pandemic, lives and livelihoods lost, soaring mental health incidents and drug overdoses, rising crime rates, ever increasing costs for housing, food, and fuel."
As per Youngkin, the "brave" frontliners, which included crews, policemen, first responders and the so many people who worked during calamities to keep the city safe and running are but the "better example of people coming together in behalf of Virginia." The work ahead, he said, echoes a "clarion call for change" that is necessary "to form a government that works for ordinary citizens."
The new Governor said that much like the saying that "great change starts at the kitchen tables" the change Virginia needs will begin from what they have gathered is needed for change from "ordinary people." These are changes that affect household incomes due to the high cost of living.
"From the perspective of every day Virginia families times are tough. And the state of our Commonwealth is not what it should be. Today we're at the proverbial "tipping point" where the cash flow to the government from rising tax burdens is very high. And yet the impact of high costs and high taxes, and an increased regulatory burden are clearly being felt in the real economy and the real lives of Virginians. The good news is that we have the ability to course-correct before this poor performance becomes permanent," Youngkin said.
He stated that solutions to these burdens would come by lowering taxes and by making crucial investments that would achieve safe communities, lower cost-of-living, robust economy, excellent schools, and a state government that really works for Virginians. However, this is not possible if he will do it all, he would need the help of both legislative bodies to achieve this.
"To do that, I'm asking each of us in this body Republican and Democrat alike to come together. To rise above the Richmond of divisive, special interest politics, the small and the parochial to usher in a sweeping vision of change. And to put this commonwealth on a pathway to prosperity," Youngkin stressed.
On his first day of office, last Saturday, Youngkin signed eleven executive actions to address the problem with the academe and address the divisive issues on human trafficking, LGBTQ coverups, and the COVID-19 mandates. The new Governor cited these executive actions during his Joint Assembly message and pointed out that the said actions have already been discussed with legislators who will then introduce 59 new legislation in line with it. There would also be 25 budget amendments that are reflective of bipartisan priorities.
"We're addressing issues that are critical to the future of this commonwealth. And that every member in this chamber can get behind. Virginians have given us a license to lead. They have charged us all to deliver on a Day One agenda. We know on some issues there'll be deep disagreement. But I believe this chamber is big enough for us to talk through our differences. And there is more that binds us than divides us," Youngkin pointed out.
