Senators Todd Pillion, R-Washington County, and Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, along with Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, were among the named budget conferees during the House of Delegates and state Senate floor sessions on Wednesday.
They will join Senate Finance chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover County, and House Appropriations chair Luke Torian, D-Prince William County, Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax County, Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax County, Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, and Del. Rob Bloxom, R-Accomack County, to hash out the differences between the two chambers’ budget amendment proposals.
The group of lawmakers have been tasked with negotiating differences in the two chamber budget proposals, which were introduced last week.
The budget process has been described as a waltz — Gov. Glenn Youngkin had the first dance, with the budget amendment proposal he released in December. The House and the Senate will work to merge their two budget proposals, and then work with Youngkin to get the final budget amendment document passed and signed.
The House and Senate budget proposals reduced the amount of money for Hurricane Helene recovery and made no changes to the much-hated car tax compared to Youngkin’s proposal.
Instead, both chambers opted to earmark about $1 billion of the state’s current revenue surplus for one-time rebate checks for all tax-paying Virginians, in lieu of a car tax rebate. The House and Senate also planned for $25 million in Hurricane Helene relief money for individuals to repair and rebuild, down from Youngkin’s proposed $127 million, though that number could change as the budget amendment process continues.
The governor will have line item veto authority of the final budget proposal, once the two chambers’ budgets are merged and passed by the General Assembly.
Deeds noted that there aren’t a lot of differences in the two chambers’ budget proposals.
“But there are significant choices before us. There is no reason to not get this done before the scheduled adjournment,” he said via text message Wednesday.
Some differences between the House and Senate budget proposals
The Senate and House conferees will need to smooth out a number of differences between the two chambers’ budget amendment proposals, with “skill games” and a number of local projects among them.
The Senate budget proposal includes language regarding so-called electronic “skill” games, though that topic was absent from the House’s plan, signaling potential conflict ahead. Youngkin vetoed a bill that passed the General Assembly in a bipartisan vote during the 2024 session that would have provided a framework to legalize skill games in Virginia.
“There are a whole lot of businesses that count on skill games as part of their business model, and we just think that ought to be part of the discussion moving forward,” Deeds had said previously.
Regarding local projects, Youngkin had proposed no money for the New College Institute in Martinsville in the second year of the budget but instead required the state-run higher education center to develop a sustainability plan that outlines options for continuing operations, merging with another public entity or closing the higher education center altogether. The Senate version of the budget made no changes to that. The House version provides $1 million and writes new language to give the school “the authority to broker agreements with Longwood University, Richard Bland College and other educational, industry, and non-profit partners.”
PBS Appalachia in Bristol would receive $750,000 through the House budget but $0 through the Senate’s proposal. Blue Ridge PBS in Roanoke would receive $150,000 through the House proposal, but $250,000 is slated for the station in the Senate’s list of amendments.
The House version adds $500,000 to a general fund for free clinics. The Senate version specifically designates $450,000 for the Free Clinic of Central Virginia in Lynchburg.