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Virginia is eliminating its statewide 1.5 % tax on groceries and private hygiene merchandise similar to diapers and tampons. Localities will nonetheless have the authority to impose a 1 % levy on groceries, nonetheless.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) referred to as for the elimination of each state and native grocery taxes whereas working for workplace in 2021, however Democrats who management the state Senate insisted on letting localities retain their portion as an essential supply of native funding.
Virginia’s minimal wage will rise from $11 an hour to $12 an hour. The hike is the ultimate enhance mandated by a regulation that Virginia Democrats pushed via in early 2020 after flipping the state Senate and Home of Delegates. On the time, the state’s minimal wage had been caught on the federal flooring of $7.25 an hour for greater than a decade.
The regulation lays out a plan for the minimal to succeed in $15 in 2026, however provided that the now-divided Normal Meeting indicators off. Underneath the plan, the minimal would keep at $12 for a yr whereas legislators take into account whether or not to approve additional will increase envisioned — however not dictated — by the regulation: $13.50 in January 2025 and $15 in January 2026.
If legislators don't vote for these will increase by July 2024, the minimal wage can be adjusted yearly to mirror will increase within the shopper value index.
In Maryland, the minimal wage for employers with 15 or extra staff will rise from $12.50 an hour to $13.25 an hour. It's scheduled to rise once more, to $14 an hour, on Jan. 1, 2024.
Within the District, January will mark the primary wage enhance as a part of Initiative 82, the poll measure voters handed in November to lift the minimal wage for staff who obtain suggestions. The measure will enhance minimal pay for restaurant servers and different tipped staff from $5.35 per hour to $6 an hour. The minimal is ready to succeed in $16.10 per hour by 2027.
The District’s residing wage, which sure D.C. authorities contractors and subcontractors are required to pay their staff, will even rise on Jan. 1, from $16.10 an hour to $16.50 an hour. The minimal wage, which any employer should pay its non-tipped staff, will stay at $16.10 till July 1, when it and the residing wage will each rise to $17 an hour.
One other new regulation within the District would require all medical health insurance plans issued on or after Jan. 1 to cowl sure meals required for some medical situations, similar to inflammatory bowel illness and gastroesophageal reflux illness.
Additionally starting Jan. 1, household and parental go away for District authorities staff will go up by 4 weeks, to 12 weeks per yr. Those that work for D.C. authorities additionally will likely be newly eligible for paid private medical go away and prenatal go away.
In Maryland, a brand new regulation would require the state’s Medical Hashish Fee to start a baseline examine on the general public well being affect of hashish use within the state. The transfer comes as Maryland prepares to legalize grownup leisure use in July.
Underneath a poll initiative handed overwhelmingly in November, adults 21 and older in Maryland will likely be allowed to own as much as 1.5 ounces of marijuana and develop two crops out of the general public view.
One other new regulation taking impact goals to enhance the gathering and distribution of eviction information. The judiciary will likely be required to gather information from eviction circumstances and share it month-to-month with the state Division of Housing and Neighborhood Growth, which in flip should make the info out there to state and native companies, and to tutorial establishments.
With the brand new yr additionally comes the institution of Maryland’s Household and Medical Go away Insurance coverage program, which can probably function equally to the state’s unemployment insurance coverage program, with a tax on staff and employers funding paid go away.
Starting in 2025, Maryland staff will be capable of take as much as 12 weeks of paid go away to look after a sick member of the family, a new child or a brand new adopted youngster, amongst different cases.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vetoed the measure, however the Democratic-controlled legislature overrode him, making Maryland the tenth state to supply the job-protection profit.
Hogan warned in his veto message that the measure would damage small companies. Employers with 15 or extra staff should pay right into a fund and, just like unemployment insurance coverage, workers would additionally need to make a weekly contribution. However supporters invoked the plight of pandemic-era staff struggling to steadiness sickness and jobs.
Beginning Jan. 1, any grownup enrolled in Maryland’s Medicaid program will likely be eligible without cost dental care. Till now, the one adults coated had been these enrolled in a pilot program. One other new regulation will cap the co-pay that insurers can require people to pay for insulin at $30 for a 30-day provide.
Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report.
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