Toll relief, teacher raises tackled in the $188B budget passed by Va. Gen. Assy.

Traveling between Portsmouth and Norfolk is getting a little easier thanks to the passage of the state's latest budget .

Driver Lisa Cullipher is in favor of the toll relief.

"Tremendously," she said when asked how much it will help.

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The $188 billion budget passed Monday includes more than $100 million over two years for toll relief.

To qualify, you have to live in designated areas defined in the budget and make less than $50,000 a year.

Drivers who qualify can get 14 free trips a week on Elizabeth River Tunnels.

Cullipher said she has a son and boyfriend who frequently drive through the tunnels between Norfolk and Portsmouth. She said they complain about the tolls a lot.

"The way the inflation is, you can’t drive through the tunnels without getting that high cost," Cullipher said.

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Toll relief is an issue News 3 has covered for years. In February, Portsmouth Sen. Louise Lucas said toll relief is a priority.

“This will be my top priority over the next four years of this term," Lucas said.

The budget also gives teachers a 3% pay raise.

But Virginia Beach Education Association President Kathleen Slinde said it’s not enough.

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“It doesn’t really address what we need," Slinde said.

She said the raise still puts Virginia teacher pay well below the national average.

“In the next cycle of the General Assembly budget, they’d have to have a 14% increase for us to get up to that goal by the 2027-2028 school year," said Slinde, referring to the General Assembly's goal of getting Virginia teacher pay up to the national average by the 2027-2028 school year.

To receive the 3% increase, localities have to agree to match a certain amount of it. The amount is on a sliding scale determined by the state and differs for each locality.

Reagan Davis, president of the Chesapeake Education Association, also emphasizes the increase is not enough.

“We must invest more in teacher pay to attract, retain, and develop highly qualified teachers so our students receive top-quality education," he said.

The budget will start July 1.

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