In a tremendous show of bipartisan support, the House and Senate today 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.

Over two-thirds of the Senate voting endorsed HB 5019 by a vote of 24-11. In a show of bipartisan support, the vote included six Democrat senators and all budget conferees. Three senators who previously supported repeal were absent.

Seventy-five percent of the House members in attendance endorsed repeal of this unfair tax in a vote of 66-22 in favor of SB 5019.

We greatly appreciate the commitment of the General Assembly to provide meaningful relief to tens of thousands of farmers and small business owners statewide by voting to repeal the onerous death tax. The approved bills will now be communicated to Governor Kaine, likely later this week. He will have seven days to either amend the legislation or sign it into law. It is expected that he will amend sections of the bill unrelated to the death tax and that the legislature will need to meet again to consider his recommendations.

Governor Kaine has been an outspoken supporter of death tax repeal and indicated without caveat that he would sign legislation should it reach his desk. With the agreement reached by the House and Senate in support of repeal, the Governor now has the ability to eliminate the onerous death tax once and for all.

We appreciate the Governor's commitment to death tax repeal, and congratulate him on the opportunity to provide real tax relief for Virginia's family farmers and small business owners by signing this legislation into law.

Click here to contact the Governor today be sure to thank him for his leadership to repeal the state death tax and urge him to sign HB 5019 and SB 5019.

Click here to view recent news articles about the proposed budget and estate tax repeal.

Please forward this message to your email list and urge your friends, neighbors and business colleagues to contact the Governor to encourage repeal of Virginia's death tax.

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