By SARAH RANKIN and DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed budget amendments met with mixed luck on Friday, with some disengaging the General Assembly and others including his push for a gas tax holiday , were rejected on a bipartisan basis.
Lawmakers sent the Republican governor a compromise spending plan on June 1, and he sent it back earlier this week asking for several dozen amendments. They spent Friday going through them and also elected two justices to the Supreme Court.
The governor has not sought to change many budget provisions that would provide tax relief to families and workers, including one-time refunds. But he again pushed for a three-month gas tax suspension, which Democrats and a Republican senator have consistently opposed.
“Democrats have failed to put politics aside for the sake of Virginians – for the third time,” Youngkin tweeted after the amendment failed.
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Youngkin’s other amendments touched on a range of spending and policy areas, including abortion and criminal law. House Democrats have repeatedly accused him of going too far.
“Stop trying to legislate failed policy in the budget,” said House Minority Leader Don Scott.
On an amendment, even Republicans who control the House stood up to the governor. A Republican has moved to suspend a proposal to create a new criminal penalty for certain actions during protests targeting judges or other judicial officers. Youngkin advanced the proposal after recent protests outside the northern Virginia homes of some U.S. Supreme Court justices.
The chamber also suspended a companion amendment for funding the Department of Corrections for a potential increase in the number of prison beds associated with the creation of a new crime.
House Speaker Todd Gilbert said his caucus voted against the protest amendment because “it was a unique procedural decision that we believe required additional verification.”
The House accepted the governor’s other proposals, which then crossed over to face more opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
In a party-line vote, the Senate rejected an amendment to further limit when public funds can be used for abortion services. Currently, Virginia denies state funding to Medicaid-eligible women who seek an abortion, except when the mother’s life is in danger and in cases of rape, incest, or serious fetal diagnosis. The amendment would have eliminated the exception for incapacitating fetal diagnoses.
Senate Democrats also blocked an amendment to provide Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs with $1.6 million to research ways “to increase opportunities for college students.” kindergarten to 12th grade. The former governor, a Democrat, supported Youngkin’s education initiatives.
Additionally, Senate Democrats rejected a Youngkin amendment that would have allocated $229,570 each year to add two support positions to the office of Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who chairs the house. Republicans defended the spending.
“It’s not really funny because I have constituents who need help,” Earle-Sears said during this debate.
A Senate Republican, Emmett Hanger, voted with Democrats to reject Youngkin’s proposed suspension of the tax of about 26 cents per gallon from July 1 to September 30.
GOP Sen. Steve Newman favored the amendment, saying soaring inflation was hitting Virginians who were working “right between the eyes.”
Democratic Senator George Barker moved that the amendment be tabled. He argued that funding for critical transportation and road projects would be hit by tax revenue, while much of the benefits would go to out-of-state drivers or oil companies.
On a handful of issues, moderate Democrats joined Republicans in securing passage of the amendments.
The Senate voted to approve an amendment adding language to the budget requiring every public university and community college to submit an annual free speech, free speech, and academic freedom report to the Secretary of Education.
Several Senate Democrats also joined Republicans in approving an amendment to limit the use of earned sentence credits by inmates to reduce their time behind bars.
Of the. Rob Bell said about 3,201 inmates would be eligible for early release, beginning July 1, under expanded credits approved by the legislature in 2020. Youngkin’s amendment would prevent credits from being used by 556 inmates serving sentences for violent crimes, including capital murder, first degree murder and rape.
Democrats, including Del. Michael Mullin, complained that Youngkin was trying to roll back criminal justice reforms passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2020 and would affect inmates “who have worked for years to be drug-free and fully rehabilitated.” .
“It’s a step backwards for our whole system,” Mullin said.
The Senate also accepted an amendment expanding the type of institutes of higher learning that can partner with K-12 systems on so-called lab schools, a move the Youngkin administration says will help foster the innovation in education.
Other amendments were passed by both houses with broad bipartisan support. These included a proposal to increase funding for historically black colleges and universities, after many such institutions nationwide faced a wave of bomb threats this year.
They also voted to provide financial assistance to the families of two police officers killed at a private college this year.
This year’s budget process took longer than in previous years as House and Senate leaders slowed regular session time without reaching agreement on the spending plan and other key issues. Negotiators worked privately for about two months on a compromise that the General Assembly adopted earlier this month.
Lawmakers also passed three amendments to the so-called caboose bill on Friday that make technical changes to the current budget; the other budget bill covers the two-year period beginning July 1. Legislation now falls to Youngkin, who can exercise a veto.
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