As Virginia legislators begin the 2014 legislative session, Americans for Tax Reform will be tracking and issuing “key votes” on important bills up for consideration. Voters in search of a legislator’s record on taxes, spending, and regulatory matters will be well equipped to judge elected officials on their records instead of their rhetoric.

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond

The first factor considered on ATR’s 2014 Virginia Scorecard will be whether or not a legislator has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The Pledge is a written commitment to voters to “oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes.”

ATR offers the Pledge to all candidates for elective office. To date, fourteen governors and over 1,000 state legislators have signed the Pledge, including 31 in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Additionally, 39 U.S. Senators and 219 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge.

“Last year, a number of Republicans joined Democrats in passing the largest tax hike in Virginia history so that the outgoing governor could have a ‘transportation legacy.’ As a result, two powerful Republicans were held responsible by voters when they were defeated in primaries last June,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.

“Our 2014 scorecard will track legislators’ willingness to put their name on and vote for legislation that begins to rein in state spending, cut taxes, and help small businesses thrive. Voters deserve easy access to a politician’s record on these issues and to know whether their legislative record matches their campaign rhetoric,” continued Norquist.

[PDF of Press Release]