Week 9: Sine Die Comes with No Budget

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Dear Friend,

This has been a rollercoaster week. Bills that passed each body were placed into a conference committee if there were any differences, even minor differences. This process ensures that nothing too radical or transformational passes, especially with one chamber controlled by the Democrats and the other controlled by the Republicans.

Budget Negotiations - The two chambers are very far apart on funding priorities and it has been difficult getting agreement on a basic framework. Governor Youngkin’s informal involvement in these conversations has made it even more challenging for the House Republicans to meet us halfway. The Youngkin team does not yet realize that school systems need assurances of state funding before they can offer teachers contracts and these contracts are usually presented by mid-April, so the timeframe for reaching a budget agreement is much shorter than one might expect.

Statement by School Superintendents Across the Commonwealth - School leaders made it very clear in a letter to Governor Youngkin that they do not appreciate tactics that undermine or devalue teachers. The teacher hotline that the Governor established to enable students and others to “report on” teachers who might be teaching “critical race theory” is unacceptable and poisonous to the school environment. School leaders went on to say how important trust and effective communication is to the success of our K-12 school system. Collaboration and informed decision-making is vital to build on the success of our schools and has so far been missing from the Governor's policy decisions and pronouncements.

My Health Care Bills Pass & Provide a Safety Net for Virginians - These bills increase access to telehealth and out-of-state providers, require consumer protections for homes serving those with substance abuse disorders, and establish reasonable medical debt repayment practices. All of these efforts passed with bi-partisan support and required hours of negotiations. It is my sincere hope that Governor Youngkin signs these bills.

In summary - I will provide you with more information on the budget once the General Assembly is called back into a special session to pass a budget. If your group or organization would like me to provide a legislative update, please contact: district31@senate.virginia.gov.

Thanks for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,