CHANGE MY LOCATION
House, Senate budgets vary widely on how to handle essential services
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: Richmond
)
The Senate is seeking a 5-cent gas tax to pay down the state’s expanding road maintenance deficit, which the House is unlikely to approve. – Examiner file
Richmond (Map, News) - Virginia’s House and Senate passed budget plans on Thursday that diverged deeply on how to fund essential services such as health care, education and transportation as well as how to close a $1.4 billion revenue shortfall, setting the stage for a partisan clash as lawmakers seek to forge a single spending plan.
Senators, whose new Democratic majority passed their two-year budget on a narrow 21-19 party-line vote, quarreled over the loss of consensus and geniality that for years characterized the chamber. The budget passed the Senate Finance Committee Sunday on an equally split vote.
“I feel like I’ve been sucker-punched,” said Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania, on the newfound rancor.
Senate Democrats fought off parliamentary wrangling from Republican Lt. Gov. William Bolling, who ruled that the diversion of more than $20 million in unexpected lottery revenue from education would require the chamber to pass its budget by an 80 percent vote. Democrats, who argued the money still would go to education, overruled Bolling.
The largest quarrel emerged over how much to dip into the state’s rainy-day reserve fund to help close the shortfall. The Senate’s plan tracks closely with Gov. Tim Kaine’s, drawing out $423 million. Sen. Walter Stosch, R-Glen Allen, warned such an extensive tapping of the rainy-day fund would leave nothing for coming years.
The Republican-controlled House wants to withdraw about half of that.
Lawmakers also approved largely different proposals on health care, teacher salaries, transportation and other services in the budget, which totals about $77 billion.
Teachers would see a 2.5 percent raise next year under the Senate budget, or a 2 percent raise this school year under the House’s.
The Senate is seeking a 5-cent gas tax to pay down the state’s expanding road maintenance deficit, which the House is unlikely to approve.
The House budget, in turn, contains a provision that would force Kaine to re-bid the faltering Dulles Rail project in an effort to save federal funding, which may see opposition in a Senate more in line with the governor.
The Senate would fund much of Kaine’s proposed expansion of pre-kindergarten to more poor children, while the House cuts the program far more substantially.
Education advocates have warned that the House’s plan alters a funding methodology that sets teacher salaries, which would force local governments to shoulder a larger fiscal burden and likely raise property taxes.
wflook@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:45 AM MST on Mon., May. 12, 2008 re: "House nixes plan to cut teacher raises, leaving 2009 pay increases in danger"
Report as inappropriate
7:42 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 14, 2008
re: "Dulles rail re-bidding stripped from budget"
Report as inappropriate
7:41 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 14, 2008
re: "Dulles rail re-bidding stripped from budget"
Report as inappropriate
10:55 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 7, 2008
re: "Saslaw pushes tax increase to fill transportation gap after ruling"
Report as inappropriate
2:22 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008
re: "Governor’s plan to cut state aid puts squeeze on local budgets"
Report as inappropriate
max power said:
we do not need to make a big deal we can easily solve this by raising taxes we can make more profit from events and use it in schools that don't even have enough afterschool programs
3 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Lisa Green said:
I've read the State contract with Bechtel for Dulles Rail and I don't see how bidding out this project would be a "breach of Contract" as Sen. Colgan and Governor Kaine assert. This is hogwash that Governor Kaine has put out to stifle real competition. We've got to get him out of Bechtel's pocket already.
6 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Someone should look into Governor Kaine's connections with Bechtel. Something isn't quite right there. Maybe we'll get lucky and find that Kaine was Bechtel's "Client #10"?
6 agree | 4 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
i agree with the person below no excuse for va being so broke oh yea they left one out to va is one of the few states were u have to buy county stickers to just think of all those thousands of people that have to buy them here in va at twenty bucks apeace most other states dont have to buy, them so my question is were is all that money going to would really like to no the answer to that one,so the person below is exactly right theres no excuse for va being so broke,do your job kaine and quit getting off the wall bills passed that waste tax payers money,thats not the job we the people voted you in to do.
10 agree | 5 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Get rid of the illegal people in N.Virginia, and the drain they have us and get busy taking care of the Americans. There is no excuse for Virginia to be so broke. One of the few states that have total controll of the liguor,beer and wine, one of the few states that you have to pay personal property taxes on your car every year,one of the few states that is a commonwealth. So Mr.Kaine, do your job, get your priorities straight and find out where all the money went.
48 agree | 32 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree