The following is a statement from State Senator Richard Stuart, R-28. Stuart’s district includes portions of Prince William and Stafford counties.

The final week of every General Assembly session is different from the weeks that precede it. The halls of the General Assembly Building are rarely teeming with visitors. With most of the bills having either already passed or already failed, citizens who were advocating for the passage or defeat of legislation are no longer clamoring to contact legislators.

RICHMOND, Va. – The General Assembly session ended on schedule Saturday night. During the 60-day session, the General Assembly dealt with more than 2,800 bills and resolutions.

A final state budget has yet to be adopted as Senate Democrats have taken the budget hostage in a dispute over committee assignments; because of this the General Assembly immediately called itself into special session to continue work on passage of a final budget. “I am extremely disappointed that the Senate Democrats would hold the budget hostage for partisan political reasons,” said Delegate Mark Cole, R-88. “They are behaving like their counterparts in Washington by refusing to pass a budget. The longer they delay the more difficult it will be localities and schools to plan their budgets for next year, and transportation projects may have to be postponed.”