On behalf of the Sound Money Defense League, I ask that you vote YES on House Bill 3, a measure that maintains current law by extending the existing sales tax exemption on the purchases of precious metals purchases. If HB 3 is not enacted, and this exemption is therefore allowed to expire, Virginia small businesses would immediately be harmed – along with Virginia citizens seeking to protect their savings against the devaluation of the dollar. The Virginia sales tax exemption on the monetary metals should be maintained for a few reasons: • Levying sales taxes on precious metals is inappropriate. Sales taxes are typically levied on final consumer goods. Computers, shirts, and shoes carry sales taxes because the consumer is "consuming" the good. Precious metals are inherently held for resale, not "consumption," making the application of sales taxes on precious metals inappropriate. • Studies have shown that taxing precious metals is an inefficient form of revenue collection. The results of one study involving Michigan show that any sales tax proceeds a state collects on precious metals are likely surpassed by the state revenue lost from conventions, businesses, and economic activity that are driven out of the state. The harm is exacerbated when you consider that many of Virginia’s neighbors (Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina) have already stopped taxing gold and silver. Kentucky and Tennessee are two of the several states considering their own sales tax exemptions for precious metals this year. • Taxing gold and silver harms in-state businesses. It’s a competitive marketplace, so buyers will take their business to neighboring states, such as Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina (which have eliminated or reduced sales tax on precious metals), thereby undermining Virginia jobs. Levying sales tax on precious metals harms in-state businesses who will lose business to out-of-state precious metals dealers. In total, 42 states (including Virginia) have reduced or eliminated sales tax on the monetary metals. Five more states are considering eliminating the tax this year. • Taxing precious metals is unfair to certain savers and investors. Gold and silver are held as forms of savings and investment. Virginia does not tax the purchase of stocks, bonds, ETFs, currencies, and other financial instruments. • Taxing precious metals is harmful to citizens attempting to protect their assets. Purchasers of precious metals aren't fat-cat investors. Most who buy precious metals do so in small increments as a way of saving money. Inflation harms the poorest among us, including pensioners, Virginians on fixed incomes, wage earners, savers, and more. In 2016, the state of Louisiana experimented briefly with slapping sales taxes on precious metals purchases. The state quickly reversed course only one year later -- and reinstated the exemption on precious metals -- because businesses, coin conventions, and state tax revenues were leaving the state. Bills to remove taxation on sound, constitutional money are also being, or have been, introduced this year in Mississippi, Hawaii, South Carolina, Tennessee, and more. Please let me know if you have any questions about the bill. I am eager to discuss this important subject with you. My phone number is (404) 948-8935 and my email is jp.cortez@soundmoneydefense.org

Hello I’m Tisha Erby Mother of 5 boys , 4 are Richmond Public School Students and WE support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. [RPS-George Wythe High School] needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including George Wythe High School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you so much for listening and remember #WytheCantWait #AllRPSCantWait #WeAreRPS

Hello I’m Tisha Erby Mother of 5 boys , 4 are Richmond Public School Students and WE support HB 531 which will allow all counties and cities to use a 1% sales tax to pay for the construction of new schools. [RPS-George Wythe High School] needs this additional revenue to build new schools and modernize facilities to improve the learning experience of its students. According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old. Unfortunately, my community is home to several of these outdated buildings including George Wythe High School. Students and teachers are placed in unsafe environments that may have leaky roofs, windowless classrooms, mold, poor ventilation, and broken HVAC systems. It is not helpful to the learning environment and development of children to attend school in buildings that harm their health and well-being. Having the sales tax as an option will give us the opportunity to fix the crumbling schools in my school district. I am afraid that if the General Assembly doesn’t pass this bill, another generation of students will be forced to sit in outdated, 50-year old classrooms that are inadequate for what students need today. Please prioritize education and the future of our commonwealth by taking this necessary step to invest in our schools, our students, and our community. Thank you so much for listening and remember #WytheCantWait #AllRPSCantWait #WeAreRPS

911 operators experience the same issues that deputies experience

911 dispatchers are the communication line to citizens until Units arrive on the scene, without their knowledge and guidance the situations may not be as successful. Situation preparedness for units, CPR instruction, a calm caring professional to those in their time of need. They are accepted to arrive for duty in any weather, hazardous condition as police officers/deputies and fire/rescue. Sadly they suffer from forms of PTSD due to the work environment and the endless acts of service for their communities as well without proper recognition. Please consider their profession as hazardous, so they to can receive the benefits so well deserved.

I am Monti Zimmerman, COL (Ret), the Vice Chair of the Joint Leadership Council for Veteran Services, a non-partisan governor's political appointee. I support this bill. In this role, I work closely with the leadership of the Virginia National Guard. I have watched as challenges exist because the surrounding states have enticing benefits. This is an important benefit to update to help recruit and retain individuals to serve in the National Guard.

On behalf of the nearly 10,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Retirees and Families of the Virginia National Guard, I urge you to support H.B. 233. This bill updates existing legislation to conform the codified income tax subtraction with average inflation since its passage in 1994. The bill simply moves a $3,000 income tax subtraction to $5,000. This refresh of the existing law constitutes a fraction of lost revenues and, through it’s enactment, provides Leaders with a powerful retention tool. The Commonwealth relies heavily on its Guard. If the severe winter storms of the past month haven’t shown the value of the Guard, I would remind you of the nearly 1,000 Soldiers and Airmen which continuously served their communities during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, where testing teams entered over 350 long-term care, specialty care and nursing facilities to perform 180,000 tests; delivering 1,000,000 pounds of food; moving 100,000 tons of PPE; as well as, responding to the needs of our Law Enforcement Communities throughout the Commonwealth. The Guard did all of this, while also mobilizing the largest number of troops from Virginia since WW2. We now have Virginia’s finest serving in Africa combating the rise if Chinese-backed extremists, in the Balkans managing the fragile peace in the former Soviet bloc countries, and throughout the Middle East reinforcing our global partners fighting terror abroad. I urge you to support H.B. 233 and by doing so, show your support to the “Commonwealth’s Guardians.”

Honorable delegates, On behalf of the nearly 8,700 currently serving Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard, I ask that you support House Bill No. 233. This bill increases the income tax subtraction for members of the Virginia National Guard. Currently, the income tax subtraction is set at $3,000 and is capped at the Federal pay grade of O-3. This bill increases the amount subtracted to $5,000 and moves the cap to Federal pay grade of O-6. This increase accounts for the systemic inflation for the past 30 years since the initial benefit was passed into law. Furthermore, this benefit provides the Virginia National Guard with a unique incentive to recruit and retain the courageous Soldiers and Airmen that serve their communities. While the Nation continues to deploy the “Commonwealth’s Guardians” overseas—with numbers not seen since World War II—the Commonwealth has tapped the Guard in support of extreme weather events, continued support to the pandemic response and support to law enforcement. Your Virginia National Guard has never been more utilized. We need to recruit and retain the best and brightest Virginians to meet the current and future needs of our Nation and our Communities. Passage of this bill provides our leaders with another tool in the toolbox. Thank you for your consideration. If I can answer any further questions, please contact me at president@vnga.us.

The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce supports this legislation and thanks the committee for its consideration.

Supporting this means more money back in taxpayers pockets. Thank you Delegate Williams Graves.