State budget heads to conference committee
The State Senate voted 35-4 on Monday to pass a revised state budget. The House of Delegates voted 69-23 to block the Senate budget from final passage, but the House did vote later to send the budget to a House-Senate conference committee.
“I am pleased that after a prolonged standoff, the budget is back on track,” Speaker of the House Bill Howell, R-Stafford, said in a statement. “Though the budget still needs to go through the conference process, the House version of the budget provides core government services and funds economic development and education priorities without raising taxes. We are cautiously optimistic that a solid, fiscally-prudent budget will emerge from conference and be voted into law within the next few weeks.” Read more
Senate votes 35-4 to pass state budget
The State Senate voted 35-4 on Monday to pass a budget that adds millions to support public schools, reduce the cost of tolls, help families who have suffered during the foreclosure crisis, and protect the safety net that supports the most vulnerable Virginians.
“I’m pleased the Senate has passed this budget, which better funds our public schools and protects the social safety net so many folks have depended on. I hope the House passes this budget, and the Governor signs it,” said Democratic Senate Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax). Read more
Senate Democrats claim victory in budget deliberations
Senate Democrats are claiming success in a budget vote by the Finance Committee that provides for more funding for public schools, families who have suffered during the foreclosure crisis, and Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens.
“We made this budget a lot better in terms of health and human services and public education. It was a cooperative effort with members of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Finance Committee staff,” said Sen. Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax). Read more
Senate Dems claim momentum at end of 2012 GA session
State Senate Democrats feel that they have political momentum on their side with a series of votes blocking barebones Republican-authored state budgets.
“When Senate Democrats came down here several weeks ago we were focused on jobs and public education, repairing our tattered safety net, and solving our transportation crisis, but were instead faced with an onslaught of extreme social agenda bills,” State Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, said.
Democratic leaders are expressing optimism that an upcoming special legislative session to address the lack of an agreed-upon state budget will produce a better budget for the 2012-2014 biennium.
As to repeated claims from Republicans that the adjournment of the regular session without a budget is unprecedented, Senate Democratic Leader Dick Saslaw pointed out that in years past, including 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008, the General Assembly did not pass a budget by the end of the regular session, and that “we are farther along now than we were then.”
“There are states smaller than we are with six-month legislative sessions that won’t get done on time what we will do this year in about 70 days,” Saslaw said.
Procedural move keeps state budget alive
On Thursday, Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, requested and was granted unanimous consent from the General Assembly to introduce two new budget bills beyond the normal deadline.
The Senate failed to pass previous budget bills advanced in the House, rendering them dead for the session. Read more
Senate Dems vote again to block state budget
The message being sent by State Senate Democrats is clear: Work with us, or else.
“This is nothing new. Four years ago, every single Republican voted against the budget. In 2004 the Republicans held up the budget until May. In 2007 the Republicans held up the budget until June. We still have four months to go,” said Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, after a 20-19 party-line vote on Wednesday killed the budget that passed the Republican-majority House of Delegates earlier this year. Read more
Creigh Deeds: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Posted by afp on April 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with creigh deeds, state senate virginia