<p class="speakable">The Virginia State Senate and its Democratic majority may have voted themselves a nearly 300% pay increase if a provision inserted into their final budget survives the House reconciliation process and reaches Gov. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/abigail-spanberger" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Abigail Spanberger</a>’s desk.</p><p class="speakable">The development comes as Spanberger has centered her campaign on "affordability," with Richmond Democrats echoing that they are working to improve their constituents’ personal finances.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southeast/virginia" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Virginia’s legislature</a> itself was founded as a part-time, gentleman’s chamber, where lawmakers would return to their dayjobs when Richmond wasn’t holding session.</p><p>Proponents of raising the current 1988-established <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics" rel="noopener" target="_blank">salary of $18,000 for senators</a> and $17,640 for delegates say the structure restricts who can afford to serve as a lawmaker today. Lawmakers also qualify for a $237 per diem, mileage reimbursements, and coverage of office, meeting and other expenses.</p><p>Senators’ new salary would be $50,000.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/house-of-representatives/republicans" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Republicans were quick</a> to criticize the final budget, with the Virginia Senate Minority Caucus saying in a statement that "teachers got a 3% raise, but Democrats give themselves 300%."</p><p>"The affordability hoax just gets worse and worse," the caucus said, adding that the chamber’s majority killed a repeal of the car tax — something GOP gubernatorial nominee <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/winsome-sears" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Winsome Sears</a> ran on — while increasing the state budget by $1 billion overall.</p><p>Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, <a href="https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-23/virginia-legislature-balances-budget-on-new-data-center-tax-new-gambling-revenue" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">told WVTF</a> it is the "wrong time" to address lawmaker pay.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-dem-stars-quick-hard-left-turn-after-moderate-campaign-won-her-coveted-response-trump-lawmaker" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>NEW DEM STAR'S QUICK HARD-LEFT TURN AFTER 'MODERATE' CAMPAIGN WON HER COVETED RESPONSE TO TRUMP: LAWMAKER</strong></a></p><p> "It's supposed to be affordability for working families across Virginia, not members of the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/elections/senate" rel="noopener" target="_blank">General Assembly</a>," he said.</p><p>Virginia’s legislature — the oldest continuous legislative body in the New World — has been making laws since its inception as the House of Burgesses in Colonial Williamsburg, where Spanberger gave the Democratic Party’s <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/virginia-governor-lauds-student-anti-ice-walkouts-schools-during-democratic-rebuttal" rel="noopener" target="_blank">State of the Union response</a>.</p><p>In her speech, she claimed President <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> is the one "enriching himself, his family and his friends" and said Republicans are the ones "making your life more expensive."</p><p>"I traveled to every corner of Virginia, and I heard the same pressing concern everywhere: <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/im-new-virginia-governor-affordability-what-everyone-needs" rel="noopener" target="_blank">costs are too high</a>. In housing, healthcare, energy, and childcare," she said.</p><p>"Americans deserve to know that their leaders are focused on addressing the problems that keep them up at night."</p><p>"<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/democrats" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Democrats across the country</a> are laser-focused on affordability — in our nation’s capital and in state capitals and communities across America," Spanberger said Tuesday.</p><p>The pay raise could be moot if the Democrat-controlled House of Delegates does not amend its own budget proposal to include the provision.</p><p><a href="https://foxnews.onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP</strong></a></p><p>The House’s budget includes $137 million for expanded childcare access, a minimum wage increase to $13.75 in 2027 and $15 in 2029, and a $20 million appropriation for state employees’ and home health care workers’ collective bargaining, according to <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/virginia-senate-democrats-pass-state-budget-add-nearly-300-percent-pay-increase-for-legislators-money-taxes-richmond-republicans-amendments-affordability" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Washington’s ABC affiliate</a>.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to the governor, as well as the House and Senate minority leaders, for further comment.</p>