In news that will cause unease in 134 localities across Virginia, Governor Northam has called for a special session on 11 April in order to set the state budget — one where Senate and House conferees are miles apart on healthcare expansion.
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
In a proclamation Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam set April 11 as the date for a General Assembly special session to finish the work left incomplete Saturday as the regular legislative session wrapped up.
The legislature adjourned without passing a state budget due to an intraparty feud over Medicaid expansion between the Republican-controlled House of Delegates and the Republican-controlled Senate.
“It is my hope that people from across the commonwealth will continue to speak to their legislators about the need to bring our tax dollars home to benefit our families, our economy, and our budget,” Northam said in a news release. “We shouldn’t have to wait any longer for a budget that reflects the priorities of the Virginians who sent us here to serve.”
Lawmakers have until 30 June to avoid a government shutdown. Yet with localities setting tax rates and budgets in April, the uncertainty in state spending means that most localities (and school boards) will be setting their budgets in the dark — making the argument for stiffer real estate property taxes in the face of uncertainty that much stronger…
…and there are no self-executing pigs, after all.
