Today the House of Delegates endorsed tax relief for Virginia's family farmers and small business owners by approving legislation that calls for the full repeal of the state death tax effective July 1, 2007. The House has voted every year since 2003 to repeal the death tax.

HB 5019 passed the House by a bi-partisan vote of 63-25, demonstrating the support death tax repeal has received from both sides of the aisle. There were failed efforts to amend the legislation from the floor, however it should be noted that those motions were unrelated to death tax repeal and focused on amending a section of the bill related to open space easements.

We greatly appreciate today's action by the House to provide considerable relief to thousands of farmers and small businesses statewide by voting to repeal the onerous death tax.

The House also voted today to accept the conference report on the state's biennial budget. The measure will now be communicated to the Governor where he will have the opportunity to offer potential changes and amendments.

The House and Senate are scheduled to meet again next Wednesday, June 28 to vote once again on repealing the death tax. The House must pass SB 5019 and the Senate must pass HB 5019. After that, the bills will go to Governor Kaine who has previously indicated he would sign legislation repealing the death tax.

Click here to send your legislators a message to support death tax repeal this year and to oppose legislative amendments to HB 5019 and SB 5019 that may jeopardize repeal.

Please take a moment to thank your Delegate for voting to fully repeal Virginia's death tax. Please let your Delegate know that you appreciate their efforts in protecting small businesses and family farms. To find your Delegate and to send an email, click here.

To find out how they voted on HB 5019, click here.

Governor Kaine has expressed his support for full repeal of the death tax since November 2004. Once both chambers have voted favorably on death tax repeal and the legislation is communicated to the Governor, he will have seven days to act. We anticipate votes on final passage will occur next week and hope the Governor will sign the bills by early July.

Please express your support for death tax repeal to Governor Kaine, and let him know you appreciate his past support. Now is the time to act. Click here to send the Governor a message about your support for full repeal of the death tax and your support for HB 5019 and SB 5019.

Please forward this message to your email list and urge your friends, neighbors and business colleagues to contact their legislators and urge them to repeal Virginia's death tax.

Thanks again for your continued support of efforts to repeal this unfair tax.