Anderson: Budget Process in Full Swing

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – After a full month of discussion, the Virginia General Assembly met in special session at the Virginia state capitol on Tuesday to continue work on the two-year, $85 billion Virginia biennial budget that runs from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2014. The budget, contained in House Bill (HB) 1301, passed the Senate of Virginia on Monday by a vote of 35-4, with Senate amendments attached. The bill was then considered on Tuesday by the Virginia House of Delegates, which rejected the Senate amendments by a vote of 23-69.

The move was expected by both houses as a parliamentary mechanism to refer HB 1301 to a joint House-Senate Conference Committee, where differences would be ironed out through a process of negotiated compromise. After the conference committee reports a compromise bill to the House and Senate, each body will take final action that will produce an agreed-upon budget that will go to Gov. Bob McDonnell for signature.

After the House of Delegates recessed late Tuesday afternoon, Del. Richard L. Anderson (R-Prince William), stated that “I am pleased that the budget process is now out of ‘neutral’ and into full ‘drive.’ Our first priority as a legislature is to pass a biennial budget in the even-numbered years of the General Assembly to meet the needs of Virginia’s families, followed by mid-course corrections in the form of amendments in the odd-numbered years. Virginia has historically passed its budget in a timely and bi-partisan fashion, so I was especially disappointed that the Senate moved us beyond the regular legislative session and into a special session for budget discussions. Now that we are again headed in a positive direction, I hope that we can conclude our work in forthright fashion.”

Del. Anderson went on to say that he is concerned that “the delay caused by Senate inaction on the budget has stymied development of local budgets by our counties, cities, and towns, all of which depend on timely approval of Virginia’s biennial budget in order to complete their own local budget planning. I support fast-track approval of the Virginia budget so that Prince William County and other localities can complete their own budget planning cycles.”

Although officials cannot accurately forecast how long the budget conference process will take, it is generally believed that an additional 10 days or two weeks will be needed for final action by the House and Senate. Anderson stated that “in the end, we’ll get it done. We always do. That’s the Virginia way.”

Del. Rich Anderson retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel in 2009 and was elected that same year to represent the 51st House District, which stretches across the county from Occoquan in the east to Nokesville in the west. He is in his second term and serves as a deputy house whip. He also chairs the Virginia Commission on Civics Education and the General Assembly Military and Veterans Caucus. He sits on four standing House committees as a member of the House Finance Committee, House Transportation Committee, House General Laws Committee, and House Science and Technology Committee.

-Press release