Tax Fairness for Virginia is a coalition run by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis and New Virginia Majority. ¹ It advocates progressive tax laws and subscribes to the theory of structural racism, suggesting that Virginia needs to tailor its policies to fixing structural racism. ² It argues for the state of Virginia to invest more taxpayer dollars into its public education system, predominately Black communities, healthcare programs, and environmental programs. ³

Prioritize Parents Plan

In April 2022, Tax Fairness for Virginia released a three-step plan for legislators to implement in the state budget called the “Prioritize Parents Plan.” The plan called for legislators to add a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a one-time tax rebate for families with children, and an increase in funding for Virginia’s public schools. Tax Fairness for Virginia estimated that implementing a state EITC would provide Virginia families with an extra $500 annually, and that it “is the single most important tax policy on the table.” ⁴

Tax Fairness for Virginia suggested that a one-time tax rebate should be given out even to individuals with no tax liability. This proposal would give a single mother with two children the tax rebate equivalent to a single person who earns $175,000. Tax Fairness for Virginia stated that “Lawmakers have underinvested in K-12 public education for years” ⁴ and argued the state needs to implement higher pay for teachers and additional funding for school programs. ⁴

Coalition Members

Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis is one of the driving organizations of the Tax Fairness for Virginia coalition. It is a left-of-center coalition which focuses on healthcare, wages, taxation, immigration, criminal justice, and education. The Commonwealth Institute states that it has advanced policies including expanding Medicaid, helping to implement a $15 minimum wage in Virginia by 2027, enabling illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition, “end[ing] laws that punish poverty and exacerbate racial disparities in the criminal legal system,” ⁵ and increasing investment in K-12 public schools. ⁶

New Virginia Majority

New Virginia Majority is one of the leading organizations of the Tax Fairness for Virginia coalition. New Virginia Majority is a left-of-center voter mobilization group that advocates for left-wing candidates and legislation. ⁷

It advocates for criminal justice policies including such ending private prisons, ⁸ economic policies such as raising minimum wage to $15 per hour, ⁹ and education policies such as increasing investments in public schools. ¹⁰ It also advocates for environmentalist efforts including eliminating oil and gas energy sources, ¹¹ automatic voter registration, ¹² and “anti-bullying laws to protect [LGBT] students from bullying by other students, teachers, and school staff.” ¹³ It also supports providing illegal immigrants with taxpayer-funded health-care programs ¹⁴ and eviction prevention programs. ¹⁵

Participating Organizations

Virginia Organizing, the Impact Project, SEIU 512, Care in Action,  CWA Local 2265, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, NAKASEC Virginia, Progress Virginia, Voices for Virginia’s Children, and Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance are all listed as members of the coalition. ¹⁶

1. Egerton, Sherri. “New Coalition Aims to Raise State Resources to Invest in Schools, Health Care, the Environment, and More.” The Commonwealth Institute, September 22, 2021. https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/tci_news/new-coalition-aims-to-raise-state-resources-to-invest-in-schools-health-care-the-environment-and-more/.
2. “The Issues.” Tax Fairness for Virginia. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.taxfairnessforvirginia.org/issues.
3.  Soto, Rodrigo. “Proposed Budget Advances Critical Investments, But More Is Needed to Continue Transformative Investments.” Tax Fairness for Virginia, December 16, 2021. https://www.taxfairnessforvirginia.org/press/dec2021budgetreponse.
4. “Virginia Parents to Call for Youngkin, Legislators to Prioritize Parents in State Budget .” Tax Fairness for Virginia. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.taxfairnessforvirginia.org/press/watch-virginia-parents-to-call-for-youngkin-legislators-to-prioritize-parents-in-state-budgetnbsp.
5. “Decriminalizing Poverty.” The Commonwealth Institute. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/decriminalizing-poverty/.
6. “About Us.” The Commonwealth Institute. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/about-us/.
7. New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/.
8. “Criminal Justice.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/criminal_justice.
9. “Economic Justice.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/economic_justice.
10. “Education.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/education.
11. “Environmental Justice.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/environmental_justice.
12.  “Expanding Democracy.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/expanding_democracy.
13. “Freedom From Hate and Fear.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/freedom_from_hate_and_fear.
14. “Health.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/health.
15. “Housing.” New Virginia Majority. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/housing.
16. “About.” Tax Fairness for Virginia. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.taxfairnessforvirginia.org/about.