Funding for a proposed Waynesboro campus of the Virginia Museum of Natural History remains in limbo after the Virginia General Assembly adjourned on Saturday without a finalized budget.
Virginia Del. Ellen McLaughlin (R-Waynesboro) requested $3.5 million for drawings for the museum in fiscal year 2027 and $28.5 million for construction in FY28 in the biennium budget.
Jarrett Harlow, McLaughlin’s legislative assistant, told AFP that she is “still working with conferees and staff to push for this funding.”
The budget impasse is largely due to a disagreement on whether to continue tax breaks for data centers in Virginia. The two legislative bodies disagree on whether to end the tax breaks completely or simply add more restrictions to qualify.
With numerous federal cuts, state legislators are working to find a way to fill the funding gap.
Of note, the stalemate comes as Democrats control the House and Senate as well as all three top jobs in the state: governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Despite this, a compromise could not be reached before the budget session ended.
The General Assembly will reconvene for a special session on April 23.
The museum has been on Del. McLaughlin’s radar for some time. She told AFP that she continues to fight for funding because it could “be a huge benefit to not only our community but the entire region.”
Planning for the 28,000 square-foot satellite campus began in 2011, but allocated funding was diverted to support the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Despite efforts to restore the funding, construction money has not been restored in subsequent budget cycles.
Estimates are that the museum would bring 45,000 to 85,000 visitors to Waynesboro each year.
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- Waynesboro: Fate of $36M natural history museum hinges on state funding
- Waynesboro: Natural history museum looks to 2027 to secure state funds for construction
- Waynesboro: Natural history museum delayed; ‘unable to secure’ construction funding
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Crystal Graham
