BREAKING NEWS - NO BUDGET DEAL!

Virginia's Biennial Budget will NOT be amended before the end of the Fiscal Year

This afternoon I spoke directly with Senator George Barker and House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight about the likelihood of amendments to the Biennial Budget being passed by the end of the fiscal year or June 30th.

Here is Chairman Knight’s statement:

It’s unfortunate. We were this close to tax relief that would have made life more affordable for Virginia families, but Democrats decided to abandon the deal we had.

Rather than accept hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for education, putting more money back into the pockets of Virginia families, and make Virginia’s tax code much more progressive - Democrats chose to do nothing.

You can have a little from Column A and a little from Column B and they chose to do neither.

I understand why they abandoned the deal, even though I don’t agree with it. They’re beholden to the extreme far-left of their party now. Last Tuesday was terrifying for them because the people we could work with to craft some common-sense legislation were shown the door. They can’t possibly give the Governor or any other Republican a “win,” even if it's a policy they’d otherwise support.

Senator Barker said about a possible budget deal, “we are not going to get it done this week” and that he expects “the Governor will a Special Session in mid to late July.”

Here is the statement Barker provided:

• Senate conferees worked on a comprehensive proposal to reflect the House and Senate priorities that supports the citizens of the Commonwealth and maintains structural balance in future years. Senate priorities addressed education, mental health, and public safety and safer communities.

•  House conferees have walked away from budget negotiations. Senate conferees initially offered a tax rebate of almost $700.0 million, then increased the offer to almost $900.0 million to provide direct tax relief to the citizens of Virginia. The proposed rebate would provide $200 for single and $400 for married filers.

A long time Richmond politico familiar with budget negotiations reminded:

Richmond is very hot in July.

Knight added that without amendments being passed, Governor Youngkin will have an extra $3.5 Billion with which to construct the next Biennial Budget.

Times sure have changed from the days when there was near universal condemnation for not passing amendments to the budget.

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'