During the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial campaign, Republican Glenn Youngkin, who ultimately emerged victorious, made it a major campaign promise to get rid of the grocery tax. On Sunday, January 1, the elimination of such a tax went into effect, but it was Virginia Democrats who stunningly took credit for the move in a tweet from that day which didn't even mention Gov. Youngkin, or any Republican.
🛒 If your weekly grocery bill feels lighter this year, that’s because it is.
— Virginia Democrats (@vademocrats) January 1, 2023
Democrats ended the 1.5% state sales tax on groceries — and that starts today.
This is not the first time that Virginia Democrats have jumped on board with Youngkin's idea. In December of 2021, just a few weeks before Youngkin was to be inaugurated, his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, expressed support for repealing the grocery tax as well as part of his outgoing proposals.
Not long after he took office, Youngkin toured a Northern Virginia grocery store on February 3 of last year to meet with families about high costs and discuss eliminating the tax.
Today, I sat down with Virginia parents to discuss my administration’s plan to combat rising inflation and its impact on families. I look forward to working together to address the rising costs of raising a family in the Commonwealth, starting with eliminating the grocery tax. pic.twitter.com/zpzzH5ROwK
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) February 3, 2022
On December 29, shortly before the plan went into effect, Youngkin tweeted out a video referencing how eliminating the tax was "delivering on promises made" and was "what Virginians elected us to do." The video clip is of a news segment from local outlet 13 ABC News Now, which points out that "providing relief at the supermarket is an initiative Gov. Youngkin has spoken about since his campaign trail."
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It's part of a larger plan, the clip mentions, to cut taxes in the commonwealth, which was another major part of Youngkin's campaign. "And now we gotta go to work to get rates down for people," the governor told the outlet in an interview, "and we're going to finish the work on our standard deduction and get that up to a double."
Virginia is cutting taxes on groceries. We are delivering on promises made nearly two years ago. This is what Virginians elected us to do. pic.twitter.com/rJMbdpwzyz
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) December 29, 2022
"Youngkin" was trending on Monday night as a result of people calling out the Virginia Democrats for such a shameless tweet.
The tweet garnered nearly 250 replies, far more than the Virginia Democrats' account usually gets.
You're such liars, lol. Youngkin ended it ... you sat on your asses and did nothing for YEARS. Oh, unless you count blocking his efforts to give us a gas tax holiday as well.
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) January 2, 2023
Virginians aren't as dumb as you think. :) https://t.co/WxEIjxe4DJ
Is this a joke? Seriously? Could you be a bigger LIAR? The Governor wanted even more of a cut of this ridiculous tax and you clowns voted against it. I cannot WAIT to take the VA Senate from y’all too.
— Holly Thornton (@beachmamax2) January 1, 2023
@RalphNortham & @vademocrats eliminated (some) of grocery tax in VA (refused to kill local 🍱 taxes, which @GlennYoungkin wanted) ONLY AFTER Youngkin started campaigning to do so.
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) January 1, 2023
It wasn’t on Dem agenda until Youngkin’s rise in polls
Youngkin delivered b4 even being in office https://t.co/JMiGSTn9Dg
https://t.co/9eGBk7uKnt pic.twitter.com/pgSfk5Tmkr
— Virginia Young Republicans (@VirginiaYRs) January 2, 2023
You are taking credit for the GOP’s bill…and ignoring the fact that your colleagues at the local level have instituted grocery bag taxes on their constituents.
— Taking It Easy (@Loudoun_Lady) January 2, 2023
The media loves to skewer Republicans for taking credit for legislation that they voted against. Let's see if that standard will hold... oh who are we kidding https://t.co/ZP47HoQ9Fl
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) January 2, 2023
Further, the 48 quoted retweets also called out Democrats for lying, including the Virginia GOP's account, which also tweeted about Youngkin's proposal on Monday night.
Ah yes, Governor Glenn Youngkin, well-known Democrat 🤡🤡🤡 https://t.co/Gg2PAS26xj pic.twitter.com/HSG5oCpnTO
— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) January 2, 2023
.@GovernorVA made eliminating the grocery tax (and billions more $ in tax relief) a central pillar of his campaign.
— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) January 2, 2023
On January 1, those changes officially went into effect. Promises made, promises kept. pic.twitter.com/vY46J6UV3j
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