This agenda will double the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, provide tax credits for movie production, etc. These initiatives will lead to over $311 million in new revenue to the Commonwealth over five years, in addition to the creation of 29,000 new jobs.

Speaking about the agenda, Governor McDonnell stressed the importance of job creation, stating, “This is a Jobs Administration—I have made creating jobs and bringing more opportunity to every region of Virginia my top priority. I am honored to be joined by Republicans and Democrats all committed to ensuring that practical solutions are put in place to obtain positive results for our citizens. Job creation is not a partisan issue, it is a Virginia issue. These bills will help in the effort to create the opportunity for good jobs for all Virginians.”

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, who serves in the McDonnell cabinet as Virginia’s Chief Job Creation Officer, remarked, “As we have said for months creating new jobs and growing the economy are our top priorities. By investing in proven economic development programs with a high return on investment, our budget and legislative initiatives take significant steps towards reaching these goals. A preliminary estimate finds that the budget amendments that are part of this agenda will lead to the creation of 29,300 new jobs over the next two years and over $311 million in revenue for the state over the next 5 years. It has been my pleasure to work with the Governor and our economic team to develop these recommendations and I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly to secure their passage.”

Delegate Danny Marshall (R-Danville) joined McDonnell at the event and noted, “My district has been hit hard by the staggering economy—Virginians are anxious for what the future holds and I am proud to be able to introduce legislation on behalf of Governor McDonnell to help workers and their families regain some economic stability.”

Delegate Mark Keam (D-Fairfax) also attended the morning press conference and remarked, “In these tough economic times, the most important task for the General Assembly is to focus on job creation and turning the economy around. As a Democrat, I am proud to work with Gov. McDonnell to help grow the economy of the Commonwealth by attracting new jobs. Citizens in my district sent us to Richmond to work in a bipartisan manner, and that is exactly what Gov. McDonnell and I are doing.”

You can read more about the Governor’s agenda by clicking here.