After two weeks in special session, the Virginia General Assembly has accomplished nothing.
The Senate met on Saturday and the House on Tuesday, recessing after having taken no positive action toward a new State budget. “We have made some concessions and are just really waiting to see what the House does,” said State Sen. Patricia S. “Patsy” Ticer (D-30). “Without additional revenue we really can’t even fund services at their current level so I don’t know what the other side is thinking.”
The Senate has given up its transportation initiative and the increase in revenue that would be required to pay for it. The House Appropriations Committee passed a measure that would essentially adopt a continuing resolution for this year and defer adoption of a new budget until next year.
“That happened in committee,” said Del. Marian Van Landingham (D-45). “The House convened about noon and recessed about 3 p.m. After that, the Appropriations Committee met. In the first place, passing a continuing resolution doesn’t really help localities because we still don’t have the money to pay for the current level of services. Secondly, I’m not sure that, in the first year of a biennium, we can even legally do that.
“The Republicans are doing this to deal with the flack they are getting in the press and from constituents over not passing a budget. It’s not going to go anywhere because once the House passes it next Tuesday, which is the next time we’re meeting, the Senate will either vote it down or simply not take it up and kill it that way,” she said.
THE BUDGET impasse in Richmond is going to cause localities throughout the Commonwealth to maintain real estate taxes at a higher level than would be necessary if funds could be counted on from the State. “Unfortunately, I don’t see this coming to closure any time soon,” said Del. Brian Moran (D-46). “As a matter of fact, we could get to June 30 and see the government shut down. This is ridiculous.”
Moran expressed concern that the House was meeting solely so that members could get their per diem. “They really only want to caucus,” he said of the Republicans. “We don’t have anything new to discuss. The conferees haven’t come up with any compromises so there is no reason to convene the entire House.” Moran has rejected his per diem of $115.
What can members of the general voting public do about this issue of not having a State budget?
“The problem really is Republican members of the House,” Van Landingham said. “The Senate has done its job. If you know someone in the Virginia Beach area or in the suburban area around Richmond or someone in Prince William County, have them get in touch with the Republican delegate who represents their District. Honestly, if they hear from people outside their districts, they can justify ignoring them even though they are voters in the Commonwealth. Public pressure is what it is going to take to get this resolved.”
The Senate will convene again on Friday because they do not believe that they can recess for more than three days at a time during any session. The House will reconvene next Tuesday.