NORFOLK, Va. - Gov. Youngkin is now working with state lawmakers to introduce legislation to suspend the state's gas tax during the months of May, June, July.
He brought up the idea during a discussion with women business owners in Norfolk Tuesday morning.
Afterwards, News 3 asked Youngkin about the idea. "It will really save Virginians money because we're going to take 26-cents off of every gallon and that money goes to Virginians," he said.
Still, Democrats have bristled at the idea,saying gas prices aren't tied to the tax and they say the money is needed on road construction and maintenance.
Youngkin called lawmakers back to Richmond on Monday for a special session to continue work on a budget. So far, lawmakers in the House and Senate have not reached a budget deal. "The frustrating thing is last week they didn't make as much getting ready for this week as I would've liked," Youngkin said.
News 3 also talked with Youngkin about violent crime. Several high profile shootings have happened in Hampton Roads, including on Granby Street in downtown Norfolk and at MacArthur Center.
"It's heartbreaking. Every morning, I find myself truly brought to my knees over things I'm reading in the newspaper," Youngkin said. "First of all, we've got to get this budget passed. It has increased salaries for law enforcement, so we can recruit more. It's got $150 million in training and equipment, so we can better equip law enforcement."
Prior to his discussion with women business owners, Youngkin announced a sports medicine company is expanding in Norfolk, creating 92 new jobs.
The company, called Embody, Inc., will expand its headquarters at Innovation Research Park at Old Dominion University, adding 10,000 square feet to the operation. The company will make a $5 million investment.
“Embody’s growth in the City of Norfolk demonstrates the strength of research and development, higher education resources, and talent the Hampton Roads region offers innovative medical technology developers,” said Governor Youngkin in a press release. “We look forward to seeing this homegrown Virginia company’s far-reaching impact, advancing the sports medicine field in our Commonwealth and beyond.”
The company was founded in 2014 and is developing technology for soft tissue repair.
“Building Embody in the Commonwealth of Virginia and specifically within the City of Norfolk has proven to be an advantage for us,” said Jeff Conroy, Founder and CEO of Embody. “It only makes sense that we expand this relationship as we prepare for significant growth. The advantages for us include access to a technical workforce, strong academic and clinical research partners, our DARPA/DOD partners, and an investor base committed to funding innovation and breakthrough healthcare.”
