The Senate Finance Committee reached a compromise on the $85 million state budget Thursday after 21 days of special-session deliberations. The budget, which funds state operations for the next two fiscal years, will head to the floor for a vote April 17. If passed, the bill will move to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's desk the next day.
Center for Politics spokesperson Geoff Skelley said in an email the even split in the Senate required someone to cross party lines to reach a compromise on the state budget. He said State Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas, agreed to vote with the Senate GOP caucus Thursday to move the deliberation out of budget conference. But Colgan will likely face "pressure from the other Democrats for him to not vote for [the revised budget] once it actually reaches the floor," he added.
Republicans currently make up two-thirds of the House of Delegates, while the Senate's 40 seats are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. The state constitution extends tie-breaking authority to the lieutenant governor for a tied bill vote. But the constitution bars Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican, from breaking ties on budget-related legislation.
"Democrats in the State Senate initially attempted to use the budget as a tool to regain equal power in the Senate, as the body is currently evenly divided 20-20 between Democrats and Republicans," Skelley said.
The Senate had been unable to come to an agreement about the budget because of disputes about funding for transportation, education and health care. But the compromise reached Thursday provided an additional $44.7 million for health and human resources and an additional $214.7 million for education, according to the Senate Finance Committee's website. The revised budget also designates $122.2 million of the $214.7 million intended for education to higher-education institutions, and $5.8 million for undergraduate and graduate financial aid, according to the website.
Senate Republicans Caucus spokesman Jeff Ryer said, however, the final budget agreement did not address the conflicts surrounding transportation. Legislators disagreed about how much funding to give tunnel projects in Hampton Roads and Norfolk and whether to decrease tolls on Dulles Toll Road.
"Transportation did not get included in the general agreement," Ryer said. "It was an issue in the Senate bill but not in the House."
State Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, said he had not seen a summary of the agreement and had not decided how he would vote on the decision. But he said the original budget proposal failed to target some key state-wide problems.
"I am very concerned about the issues regarding transportation [and] pensions... and I do not feel that we have done enough for education," Edwards said.
Legislators reconvene April 17 for a final floor vote on the bill. If McDonnell signs the bill, the budget will go into effect July 1.
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