The General Assembly reached its official halfway point on February 13th. Known as “crossover” it is the date that all non-budget legislation must be passed from the chamber of origin. Surviving bills then go to the opposite chamber where the legislative process begins again. On February 18th, known as Budget Sunday, the House and Senate money committees will release their modifications to the Governor’s introduced budget. This marks the beginning of really crafting Virginia’s new two year budget. Medicaid expansion is once again a point of contention. Governor McAuliffe’s budget was predicated on expanding Medicaid. Without expansion, the amount of money available shrinks dramatically. There are continuing negotiations between the Governor’s Office and republican leadership on this issue. It is quite possible that a deal will be worked out.
Once the House and Senate budgets are released and the session progresses, we will keep you informed as to what is happening in Richmond.
-VLTA Lobbyist, James Pickral
