According to my friend, Del. Scott Surovell, who’s busy poring through the newly-arrived Virginia budget document {click here for the Budget Conference Report online}, here are a few highlights (using that word loosely).
*”…public television funding back in the budget but reduced by 10%”
*”hold harmless payments for school divisions (not Northern VA) who would’ve lost money last year is still in the budget (Item 132, #3c)”
*”it appears that Direct Aid to Education is up $87M over Gov. McD’s proposal (Item 132 #6c)”
*”$270k +/- in Budget for additional jail beds needed because of new mandatory minimum penalties passed this year”
*”$10M +/- for GMU for STEM faculty, $6M+/- for JMU for STEM programs & financial aid” (Item 284 #1c)”
*”$100M additional dollars to improve Medicaid provider reimbursement rates – that’s progress but we gotta keep improving (Item #197 13c)”
*”$500K more for Healthy Families Program, $200K for NOVA Family Services & $1.2M for 15 new FTE’s for state parks”
*”$1M restored for AIDS drug funding – I was lobbied by constituents who had been wait listed for 1st time in VA history”
*”Fairfax County K-12 Direct Aid up $4.1M over Governor McDonnell’s proposal”
*”No Gen. Fund to Transportation, K-12 Funding Up, $64M Rainy Day Contribution, Sales Tax Gimmick 80% Removed – Largely what we demanded”
*”stem cell research ban and Planned Parenthood funding ban language in House Budget amendments not included in final Budget”
More to come…thanks to Scott Surovell for keeping us updated!
UPDATE: This worries me a great deal, coming from right wingnut extraordinaire, Del. Greg Habeeb (“The more I familiarize myself with this budget the more proud I am of the Republican House budget conferees. They did a remarkable job.”)
UPDATE #2: Adam Rhew tweets, “Net increase of $74.9M over the governor’s budget for K-12 education – more than planned but not as much as school divisions wanted.” Also, “The budget doesn’t include money for: a new General Assembly bldg, UVA Rotunda renovation or a new facility for sexually violent predators.”
UPDATE #3: House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong just endorsed the budget.
UPDATE #4: The budget passed the House 97-0.
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