Menhaden, the fish that has been the focus of years of political squabbling, got a starring role as the General Assembly took its last, largely technical steps to give Virginia a new, if much-delayed, state budget.
Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, right, speaks with Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, left, and Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, during Monday's reconvened legislative session. The General Assembly agreed to all 14 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments, and the state budget will take effect on Wednesday as scheduled.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, speaks during Monday's session at the Virginia state Capitol. “I think we went through a lot to get here, but at the end of the day, data centers are going to contribute about $1.2 billion over biennium to help fund our government, just like every other taxpayer in our state, and that extra money resulted in us being able to give a larger pay increase for teachers, a larger pay increase to ... our state employees," Surovell said.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, urged a vote against an amendment that would provide an additional $680,000 to carry out voter referendums in November on proposed constitutional amendments to ensure women’s reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for felons who have served their time. The amendment passed by a 57-33 margin.
Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, right, speaks with Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, left, and Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, during Monday's reconvened legislative session. The General Assembly agreed to all 14 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments, and the state budget will take effect on Wednesday as scheduled.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, speaks during Monday's session at the Virginia state Capitol. “I think we went through a lot to get here, but at the end of the day, data centers are going to contribute about $1.2 billion over biennium to help fund our government, just like every other taxpayer in our state, and that extra money resulted in us being able to give a larger pay increase for teachers, a larger pay increase to ... our state employees," Surovell said.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, urged a vote against an amendment that would provide an additional $680,000 to carry out voter referendums in November on proposed constitutional amendments to ensure women’s reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for felons who have served their time. The amendment passed by a 57-33 margin.
