Video: VA Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair Louise Lucas Says “Virginia will have a budget by June 30th and we are still working to get this right for Virginians”

Speaking at this morning’s Virginia Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee meeting, Committee Chair Sen. Louise Lucas had the following to say about the budget impasse with Gov. Abigail Spanberger and the House of Delegates, as well as a potential path forward to reaching a budget deal by 6/30. See below for video and a transcript of what Sen. Lucas had to say.

Before I give the floor to [Finance Secretary Mark] Sickles, I  want to briefly mjake a few comments. Contrary to what has been said publicly by others, the Senate conferees and I have been working towards a compromise with our House counterparts. We’ve also listened to the governor’s input. However, let me be clear. I have found that the House and governor have focused their attention on protecting the data centers rather than being focused on what our citizens are asking us to do on this issue. Anyone that knows me understands that I stand with the people and work towards representing their interest. This issue is bigger than the governor. It’s bigger than the Speaker. It’s bigger than me. This is about data centers and their inability to understand that they need to pay their fair share of the taxes.

On Friday, I released information on a potential compromise in the interest of having a budget prior to the start of the new fiscal year. I met the requirements that I heard from the House and the governor that it be outside the current MoU around the data center sales and use tax exemption. The proposal referenced on Friday would have a tiered state impact fee. It is focused on incentives to mitigate some of the environmental impacts from data centers, which is the major concern for some people. I’ve asked staff to brief the committee and public this morning on what that proposal contains. It is unprecedented that the House would release a budget proposal that they have worked on with the governor. However, I want the House conferies to see our proposal and we plan to meet with them immediately following this meeting today.

I’m engaging on a listening tour, as you all know, to allow the public to hear and speak on this issue. Our citizens are angry about the exemptions cost and data centers impacted on the quality and their quality of life. I still believe that expiring the data center sales and use tax exemption would be the correct path. However, the Senate conferees’ proposal that we will discuss today provides an alternative path toward where data centers pay their fair share to support services to Virginia and ensure structural balance. I hope my House colleagues and the governor are hearing that the people have to say and the issues and not be focused on the interest of some of the wealthiest corporations in the country. As I said last month, I stand with hardworking Virginiaians who want a fair shake in this economy and do not want to bear the impacts from these corporations. Virginia will have a budget by June 30th and we are still working to get this right for Virginians.