WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Virginia House and Senate budget negotiators forged a tentative compromise Wednesday on how to spend more than $77 billion over the next two years, following three days of overtime debate over funding core services and a meager set of program expansions.

The agreement represents a hybrid of each chamber’s and Gov. Tim Kaine’s proposed biennial budgets. It is unlikely to mollify all lawmakers but is nevertheless likely to win approval today by a General Assembly eager to turn its attention to a growing transportation crisis.

The budget was engineered for a worsening economic slump expected to cause a $2 billion shortfall through 2010. Del. Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, believed the spending plan is better than many had expected “given the tight times that we’re in.”

Much of the Senate’s original proposal was reduced to suit the more austere House demands, which also were not entirely satisfied. The proposed expansion of pre-kindergarten, one of Kaine’s top initiatives, was cut to $22 million, less than half of the Senate’s request.

The two chambers reached a compromise to tap about $300 million in emergency “rainy day” funds to help close the deficit.

Wednesday’s agreement finds some money to boost the pay of state employees 2 percent this year, and another 2 percent next year for state employees and teachers. The House already had dropped its much-bemoaned plan to lessen the state’s share of teacher pay raises, which the majority Senate Democrats considered a victory.

The deal includes another $1 billion for mandated statewide public school funding, upping the total amount over the next two years to $11 billion. Aid to local governments, however, would see a $100 million reduction over the next two years. State agencies would be shrunk by $17.5 million each year.

Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, successfully fought for $1.5 million to crack down on Internet sex predators as part of his proposed “Alicia’s law.”

“Today is a tremendous step in our efforts to protect Virginia’s children from the most violent, vile online predators,” said Moran, a gubernatorial candidate.

One of the House’s key measures — supplying hundreds more Medicaid slots for care for Virginia’s mentally retarded population, was partly met at 600 slots in the next fiscal year.

About $6 million was put to a Senate proposal for drug court funding.

wflook@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

7:42 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 14, 2008 re: "Dulles rail re-bidding stripped from budget"

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.

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7:41 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 14, 2008 re: "Dulles rail re-bidding stripped from budget"

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"?

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10:55 AM MST on Fri., Mar. 7, 2008 re: "Saslaw pushes tax increase to fill transportation gap after ruling"

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.

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2:22 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008 re: "Governor�s plan to cut state aid puts squeeze on local budgets"

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.

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