New laws will go into effect on January 1 in Virginia.
Starting New Year’s Day, a variety of laws ranging from politics to economics and environmental will be in place.
Here’s a list of some notable changes:
Increase in the minimum wage. $11 an hour will be the new minimum wage in Virginia, up from 9.50.
A change at the ballots. In 2022, Virginia’s local elections will shift from May to November.
Not a law, but in the new year, military members will see some more cash. The basic housing allowance will increase starting January 1. The department of defense stated the increase will be just over 5%. Some families we talked with reported an increase of between $100 and $260 a month.
For veterans, they will be getting a pay increase in their “cost of living adjustment” of nearly 6%. That’s the largest increase in nearly 40 years.
Car owners listen up: It’s going to cost you more to drive. The minimum insurance coverage required for vehicles in Virginia will increase starting on New Year’s Day.
It depends on your policy on whether you'll have to pay more - but one lawmaker says the average Virginian with a minimum policy will pay about $5 more a month.
On the environmental front, Virginia becomes the fourth state to ban cosmetics testing on animals. This is a part of the “humane cosmetics act,” signed by Governor Ralph Northam. It will also ban the sales of cosmetics that test on animals.
