Virginia lawmakers push new budget to the finish line

100 days after its first review, a budget for Virginia has been secured after a General Assembly vote.

One sticking point had been taxation on data center but the compromise now has a tiered system of regulations based on electricity use that will net Virginia more than $1 billion annually, a plan finalized by senior Senator Louise Lucas of Portsmouth.

House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore of Gate City said he’s glad the budget included pay raises for teachers and bonuses for workers at correctional centers, but there are policy provisions crammed into the spending plan that should have been debated on the floor.

“The budget has finally passed, but not in a manner that should make any Virginian proud,” Kilgore said in a prepared statement. “…However, with one party controlling the Governor’s Mansion, the House, and the Senate, Virginians should expect a budget process that is transparent, timely, and accountable. We never should have been put in this position, and taxpayers deserve better than governing by deadline and last-minute negotiations.”