Last Friday the entire Board of Visitors gathered to discuss the potential affects of the Virginia state legislature's budget impasse on the University, the governor's recent approval of higher education restructuring legislation and recently approved appropriations for a pedestrian crossing as part of the South Lawn Project Currently, the state's budget has not been approved by the legislature. Despite the state's impasse, President John T. Casteen, III was optimistic that the legislature would settle on a budget by July 1, the beginning of Virginia's fiscal year.
"We believe the outcome will be positive since both houses are committed to higher education," he said.
It is unlikely that the University would be forced to cease operations if a budget is not set by the end of the fiscal year, according to Del. David Toscano, D-Charlottesville.
If the state does not approve the budget by the end of the fiscal year, Toscano said he "expect[s] Governor Kaine will exert constitutional authority