With 233 amendments and nine changes to the budget from Governor Youngkin, the General Assembly essentially said, it’s a nonstarter.
So, instead of working through those amendments line by line, they’re starting from scratch.
It was no secret that the Virginia state budget would be difficult to come to an agreement on this year.
“I think there really is a moment for us to work together,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said.
With a Democratic-controlled General Assembly and a Republican governor, tensions have been high.
“We can, in fact, fund a $64 billion budget that prioritizes education, and behavioral health, and safe communities without tax increases,” Youngkin said.
But now, they’re starting over.
The General Assembly made a last-minute compromise with Governor Youngkin.
The agreement means they’re tabling budget talks until a special session in May.
The General Assembly said the Governor’s amendments were “non-specific and severable.”
They then voted 100-0 for a motion to kill them and passed the budget bills by for the day.
It’s a roundabout way of stopping the Governor from vetoing the budget altogether, something never before seen that some Democrats were worried about.
Previously, the governor hoped they could come to an agreement.
“I worked hard to meet many, many many of their priorities and we came a long way,” Youngkin said.
The hot-button issues that have held up the budget include education and tax cuts.
But Youngkin is confident they’ll reach an agreement.
“This is another step for us on our way to finding common ground on our budget,” Youngkin said.
That special session will meet in May, with hopes of an entirely new, agreed-upon budget by the June 30 deadline.