Name: Amanda Batten
Race: House of Delegates, 96th District
Party: Republican
Website: AmandaBatten.com
Biography: An active member of the community, Amanda Batten currently works as legislative aide to Delegate Brenda Pogge, representative of District 96 in the Virginia House of Delegates. She was previously employed as a fundraising manager for the Medical Society of Virginia and as legislative aide to Virginia Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment, Jr.
Amanda moved to the 96th District as a military spouse and first resided on Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. She currently lives in Toano with her husband, Rick, and son, Troy, who is a freshman at Virginia Tech. She is a board member of the Virginia Symphony Society, and she previously served on the board of the Thomas Nelson Community College Educational Foundation and as president of the Providence Classical School Board.
A graduate of Ashford University, Amanda has also completed the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Political Leaders Program and the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance’s LEAD Historic Triangle program.
Why should residents elect you to the Virginia House of Delegates?
I take seriously the privilege of participating in our representative democracy. Over the course of the past 11 years, my political volunteerism evolved into a vocation. As legislative aide to the current delegate in the 96th District, I’ve had the privilege of working with constituents for the past six years. I know firsthand the issues that affect the district, and I believe that running for House of Delegates will allow me to continue serving constituents—albeit in a slightly different manner.
What is the biggest issue facing your district, and how do you plan to address it?
When beginning my campaign, I would have identified workforce development and retention as one of the region’s top issues. This remains a top personal priority; however, the district-specific complaint I hear—regardless of a household’s socioeconomic status—is opposition to the 2018 “tourism sales tax” imposed by the General Assembly on the Historic Triangle.
Residents frequently note that they do not mind paying higher taxes to produce a tangible return (such as the widening of Interstate 64), but they oppose a sales tax that
a. funds a niche industry
b. lacks accountability
c. was imposed largely due to the support of legislators from other areas of the state
The tax is scheduled to sunset in 2026. I plan to introduce legislation to prevent the tax from becoming permanent (as often occurs with “temporary” taxes). At the time of scheduled sunset, the issue will instead go to a local referendum so that residents of the Historic Triangle can determine whether they believe the tax has merit. Half of the revenue from the tax currently goes to the localities, and voters deserve the opportunity to assess the value of this funding.
What was the most important vote taken in the Virginia General Assembly in 2019, and why?
Passage of tax reform and conformity legislation was absolutely critical during the 2019 General Assembly session. Without the legislation to conform Virginia’s tax code to the federal tax code, Virginians’ tax returns could not be processed. Additionally, the reform and refund measures help offset the higher state taxes Virginians will pay as an unintended result of the 2018 federal tax reform.