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“What was thought to be a pledge of extra funding from Richmond for Metro essentially was taken back [by Youngkin]”

By
lowkell
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6

Yesterday, Virginia Senate Democratic leaders ripped into Gov. “MAGA Glenn” Youngkin’s budget amendments, calling them a “farce,” “shortsighted,” “campaign-style charades,” “poor leadership,” “squandered opportunity to authentically seek common ground,” among other things. Also ripping Youngkin was the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, which said that the governor’s budget amendments “reduce proposed investments into the building blocks of our communities like K-12 public education and other key priorities”; Sen. Louise Lucas and Delegate Luke Torian, who said “What is backwards is your understanding of the budget process, your desire to engage the legislature in casting amendments to the Budget prior to the reconvene session is unprecedented, much like your ongoing threats to veto the budget in its entirety if it does not meet with your demands”; etc.

Speaking of Youngkin’s harmful/bad changes to the budget, see below for what he appears to be doing to Metro funding. Per WAMU reporter Margaret Barthel:

“In budget amendments, Youngkin made some key changes to the General Assembly’s $150 million over two years proposal that are worth knowing about if you’re a Metro rider or a Northern Virginia resident or both.

Overall, Youngkin’s proposal includes $130 million over two years for Metro, about in-line with estimates from transit leaders about what the system needs to avert a fiscal cliff. (Context below.) But it does that by shifting the burden to NoVA.

In fact, Youngkin is only proposing $35 million in new state support for Metro in 2025 and none in 2026. The remaining $98 million would come from extra state funds given to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for Metro funding in 2022.

Why does that matter? The NoVA jurisdictions that make up the NVTC had been planning to parcel that Metro money out over two years — when the Metro bills will be big! — freeing them up to spend local money on other priorities.

“The decreases to this state fund are just going to force additional hard choices,” says NVTC Chair and Arlington County Board member [Matt deFerranti]. “We have to make hard choices, but we need a partner in the state.”

He said the move could mean local tax increases and delays in planned-for projects, including Metro entrances in Ballston and Crystal City. And he called it “an opportunity cost” in that hang-ups in Virginia’s shorter-term Metro funding picture could derail longer-term regional dialogue about developing a long-term inflation-adjusted source of funding for Metro, a mechanism regional leaders hope could prevent these regular funding challenges in Metro budgets.

The other change essentially makes Virginia Metro funding contingent on the transit agency working with a consultant to create “a financially sustainable business plan” by January 2025. That plan would then need approval from the chairs of the money committees and the governor.”

Also see NBC4 reporter Adam Tuss’ article, which states, “What was thought to be a pledge of extra funding from Richmond for Metro essentially was taken back.”

Ugh, not good at all. In short, Youngkin is screwing over transit in Northern Virginia. Why? Who knows with that nasty, vindictive, right-wing dude, but you’ve got to wonder if it’s in part revenge for the demise of his “Glenn Dome” deal (plus, Youngkin’s general hostility to transit). As VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell puts it:

“WMATA is the rocket fuel of the Northern Virginia economy and its fiscal health is critical to continuing to attract high paying jobs to the Commonwealth. If the Governor truly cares about attracting and keeping high paying jobs in Virginia, funding WMATA needs to be a Commonwealth priority.”

But…does he? Doubtful.

 

Team Biden-Harris Launches Out for Biden-Harris; “LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, and we’re going to keep fighting for equality and justice for all people.”

By
lowkell
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2

From President Biden’s reelection campaign:

Team Biden-Harris Launches Out for Biden-Harris

Today, Team Biden-Harris is launching Out for Biden-Harris, a national organizing and engagement program to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters, communities, and leaders across the country. With more than 8 percent of the U.S. population, and over 20 percent of Americans aged 18-25 identifying as LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ voters will be a key part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s winning coalition this November – just as they were in the 2020 election and in 2022, where they made up more of the electorate than in any other election in American history with over 39% of voters viewing LGBTQ+ equality as a make-or-break issue.

The launch of Out for Biden-Harris today comes alongside endorsements from LGBTQ+ organizations across the country, including Equality North Carolina PAC, Fair Wisconsin, Delaware Stonewall PAC and the Center for Black Equity Political Action Fund in their first-ever presidential endorsement. These organizations join other critical state-level endorsements from Equality California and Silver State Equality and the historic, joint endorsement in 2023 from the Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Trans Equality Action Fund, and Equality PAC. Collectively, these groups represent more than 3.8 million members who will use their resources to mobilize equality voters across every battleground state.

The Biden-Harris Administration is the most pro-LGBTQ+ in history. President Biden has taken historic action for the LGBTQ+ community, including reversing Trump’s un-American ban on transgender military service, signing the Respect for Marriage Act, safeguarding and expanding access to quality health care for everyone, and continuing the charge for federal action to protect all LGBTQ+ Americans through the Equality Act.

The fight for equality for all Americans is at stake this November as Trump and his allies plan to roll back the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans. Trump and his MAGA allies are running on an extreme, anti-LGBTQ+ agenda which would push to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, even going after the right to marry who you love. Trump would also reverse President Biden’s efforts to restore the right for trangender Americans to serve in the military and take away Title IX’s existing protections for transgender students. Donald Trump and his allies want to take us backwards, dictating who Americans can and cannot love and who they can or cannot be. It’s wrong and it is dangerous.

“LGBTQ+ voters are a force to be reckoned with. They were critical to our victory in 2020, and they will be critical to winning again this November. That’s why we’re thrilled to launch Out for Biden-Harris, which will harness the LGBTQ+ community’s organizing prowess to reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris this November,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “LGBTQ+ Americans couldn’t have more at stake this election: Donald Trump and his extremist allies are running to gut LGBTQ+ rights and erase history as their top priorities. LGBTQ+ Americans deserve leaders who will fight for every American’s freedom and dignity. That’s what President Biden and Vice President Harris have done throughout their time in office, and what they will do if reelected, including pressing Congress to pass the Equality Act. There has never been a more critical time to protect the rights of all Americans, no matter who you love or how you identify, and Out for Biden-Harris will be critical to not just safeguarding, but strengthening the rights and voice of every single American.”

In 2020, nearly 11,000 LGBTQ+ volunteers mobilized to help elect President Biden and Vice President Harris. This year, Out for Biden-Harris will re-engage these supporters and build on their work. The program is designed around the idea that there is no better messenger to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters than their friends and neighbors to bring new supporters into our campaign. Out for Biden-Harris will train supporters to organize within their own networks and leverage messengers from the community to ensure we are meeting LGBTQ+ voters where they are. From drag queens to elected leaders to LGBTQ+ faith leaders, Team Biden-Harris will use a wide range of validators to communicate what’s at stake for the LGBTQ+ community in this election and why it’s critical that we vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

In the coming weeks, the program will kick off a series of events and activities, including:

  • A virtual organizing call featuring actor Wilson Cruz, Congressman Robert Garcia, HRC President Kelley Robinson, to mobilize LGBTQ+ supporters;
  • A series of virtual relational organizing trainings focused on activating and reaching new volunteers targeting battleground voters. The campaign will be engaging trusted messengers, including high-profile and trusted messengers in the LGBTQ+ community, like Brita Filter, Danica Roem, Gina Ortiz Jones, and Rev.
  • Hosting a series of Out For Biden-Harris house parties and community events including events in Phoenix, Arizona, Ferndale, Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Las Vegas, Nevada to mobilize supporters.
  • First Lady Jill Biden will be a featured speaker at the Human Rights Campaign Equality In Action Conference bringing together a network of 400 organizers and activists in Arlington, VA.

To launch Out for Biden-Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris shared a video about the important role LGBTQ+ Americans will play in reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris, and the stakes of this election for the LGBTQ+ community.

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Paid for by Biden for President

President Biden Speaks Directly with Latino Community in Univision Interview

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

President Biden Speaks Directly with Latino Community in Univision Interview

President Biden sat down for an interview with Univision’s Enrique Acevedo to discuss his record on delivering for Latinos and American working families, his plans to continue fighting for Latinos in a second term, and the threats Donald Trump poses if elected to a second term.

The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Director of Hispanic Media Maca Casado:

“President Biden knows the power of the Latino vote, the importance of meeting our community where we are, and talking directly to us about the stakes of this election. As the President discussed in his interview – Latinos have a fighter in him. A leader who knows that being president is about fighting for our families, for our jobs, and for our freedom. Only President Biden is that type of leader, and unlike Trump, he and our campaign are showing up every single day to earn the support of the Latino community.”

WATCH HERE

Read Excerpts from President Biden’s Interview Below

 

On protecting our democracy:

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “Donald Trump. Seriously. Donald Trump talks using phrases like we’re going to eviscerate the Constitution. He’s going to be a dictator on day one. The idea that he would sit in the office, and I’ll show you before you leave, off the Oval Office and watched for hours the attack on the Capitol and the destruction and the mayhem and the people who were killed. The police officers who died and called them political heroes, call them patriots. And saying that if he gets elected, he’s going to free them all because they’re being held illegally. I mean, it’s just… think of the things he says. Look at the way… he talks about minority populations or Hispanics… I can’t think of any other time in my lifetime, in history that’s occurred that you’ve had somebody who’s had this kind of attitude. He says… I’m going to be a dictator on day one. No one doesn’t believe him.”

[…]

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “How can you love your country only when you win? And his attitude about what he should be able to be doing and what the power of presidency is. He wants to suspend parts of the Constitution. Who in God’s name would say that? Who said that before? So he has a very, very, I think, jaded view of the Constitution. He made it clear that he doesn’t plan on abiding by parts of it if he thinks it’s not appropriate. And it’s just… at least he’s saying it out loud.”

[…]

On keeping our community safe from gun violence:

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “Look, I, along with Dianne Feinstein, passed the first limitation on assault weapons and the number of bullets that could be in a rifle. The idea anybody needs 100 rounds on a rifle and an AR-15. I was out in Uvalde. I met with every one of those families. I spent four hours with them. I looked at the pain in their faces. I saw what they felt. I could feel it. And the idea that. And you know…  said, just get over it, got to get over it. The idea we don’t have background checks for anybody purchasing a weapon, the idea that we’re going to be in a position where he says that he famously told the NRA that don’t worry, no one’s going to touch your guns if I… From the very beginning, I used to teach the Second Amendment in law school, from the very beginning, there were limitations. You couldn’t own a cannon. You couldn’t… You could own a rifle or a gun.”

[…]

On creating opportunities for Latino students

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “And that’s why I also put in $14 billion dollars in Spanish speaking institutions of higher education. And the reason for that is…  I did that same with the African American community, so HBCUs. In two separate funds. But here’s the deal. Think about this. Every student who graduates from high school, going to community college or college, whether they’re Latino or Asian American, whatever, they have the same capacity as white students. But guess what? The universities don’t have these large funds. And guess what? All the jobs in the future. What are they? They’re high-tech jobs. They’ll have laboratories to be trained in. So it’s overwhelmingly in the interest not only of the community, but the country to grow the capacity for these students to be able to learn. So that’s why I’ve invested in early education, and we have to do more than we’re doing now.”

On border security:

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “Well, first of all, the first piece of legislation I introduced as president was related to the border. The first one. I wanted to make sure everything from Dreamers had a path to citizenship, all the way to providing for enough border security people to orderly handle the border, to allow legal immigration and prevent illegal immigration. We’re in a situation where, for example, we don’t have enough officers to even interview people to discern whether they have a legitimate fear or concern to qualify to come in. We don’t have enough people at the border with our Border Patrol people. We don’t have enough machinery that we can detect fentanyl and illegal drugs coming in. It’s all there. And so what happened? We worked this with a very conservative Republican from Oklahoma, a Senator, came along and he ran on one side and Democrats on the other side, and they worked for four months, and they came up with a proposal. It didn’t have everything I wanted. I told them I was going to go back and get Dreamers etc., but the thing it did do, it provided for a significant more personnel to make an orderly transfer and allow legal immigration to increase, not decrease and diminish illegal immigration. And when… this is literally the truth, what happened was when Trump found out that I liked it and I supported it, and I’d get, quote, credit for it, he got on the phone, not a joke, checked with the Republicans and called them and said, don’t be for it, will benefit Biden. When the hell would you vote on a major piece of legislation based on whether you benefit somebody that’s in politics? It’s either good or it’s bad. It was a good piece of legislation, and I’m not giving up on it.”

[…]

On lowering costs for Latino families:

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “For years, I’ve been trying to take on big pharma that makes billions of dollars a year overcharging for prescriptions, for example. We’re in a situation where if you go on Air Force One with me and told them to pick any country in Europe that you want me to fly to, I’d take you and you take your prescription from the United States from a drugstore. You can walk down the street here. I can get you that same exact prescription filled for 40 to 60% less. And so what we finally were able to do, and I’ve been fighting for this for a long time, is say, here’s the deal. Medicare pays for all those drugs that seniors need for whatever the reason. But, for example, there’s a higher propensity among Hispanics for diabetes and other things. Well, guess what? Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, we’re paying, you only have to pay $35 a month now. Done, done. And what’s done also will take effect in January of next year is that no matter what your total bills are for prescription drugs, you’ll never have to pay more than a senior, more than $2,000 a year because some of these cancer drugs are ten, 15,000 bucks a year.

 

On making the ultra wealthy and corporations pay their fair share and protecting the ACA

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “The Affordable Care Act… Trump is totally opposed to it. Totally opposed to it. Guess what? You’d have millions of people not able to have insurance because they have a pre-existing condition. No insurance company. This covers them. And by the way, it generates economic growth, not just I mean, I anyway, I just can’t fathom the things that Donald Trump says and believes about. But he’ll stand in Mar-A-Lago and say to his friends, I know you’re all wealthy. I know 20 of you guys are worth a hell of a lot of money. We’re going to make sure we get you a tax cut, a tax cut and they’re all cheering. Well guess what, man? It’s about time they start paying their fair share.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

Wednesday News: “Arizona’s abortion ban…every state’s future if Trump wins” – and “exactly what Trump wanted”; “The Walls Are Closing in on Mike Johnson’s Speakership”; “Youngkin slashes Democrats’ education budget, vetoes bipartisan school funding bill”

By
lowkell
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29

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, April 10.

Virginia Senate Democrats Respond to Governor’s Attempts for a Budget Rewrite: “Farce,” “Shortsighted,” “Campaign-Style Charades,” “Poor Leadership,” “Squandered Opportunity to Authentically Seek Common Ground”

By
lowkell
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7

From the VA Senate Democratic Caucus:

Virginia Senate Democrats Respond to Governor’s Attempts for a Budget Rewrite

Richmond, VA – Last night, shortly ahead of the April 8th, 11:59 PM deadline, Governor Youngkin submitted the remaining action on legislation sent to his desk by the General Assembly. In an unprecedented move, the governor has attempted to rewrite the budget with his recommendation of 233 amendments. Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus issued the following statements:

“Governor Youngkin’s so called ‘Common Ground’ budget is a farce. As Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair, I find his amendments to be shortsighted and not in the best interest of the Commonwealth. His budget defies common sense and highlights a significant disconnect that cannot be overlooked,” said Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair L. Louise Lucas.

“In an era that requires visionary leadership to navigate the complexities of our society, Governor Youngkin’s actions have raised questions about his ability to champion the welfare of all Virginians. His evident lack of understanding of Virginia’s budget process, highlighted by his audacious move of submitting 233 budget amendments in an attempt to rewrite it, not only showcases poor leadership but also represents a squandered opportunity to authentically seek common ground,” stated Senate Democrats Caucus Chair, Mamie Locke.

“Governor Youngkin’s attempts to hijack the budget process with an outrageous number of budget amendments- is merely political theater to distract Virginians from the 233 amendments, and it comes at the expense of the welfare of the Commonwealth. Despite the governor’s claims of pursuing a “Common Ground Budget,” Virginians are becoming increasingly exasperated with these continuous campaign-style charades. What they truly desire is authentic leadership that respects the Commonwealth’s rich traditions and constitutional governance. Governor Youngkin’s inconsistency and lack of comprehension to the processes that run our government display a troubling disconnect from the realities of Virginia’s legislative landscape,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell.

The Commonwealth Institute: Gov. Youngkin Proposes Significant Cuts to Legislature’s Historic Public Education Funding and Other Key Priority Funding Proposals

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, which does superb work:

Trump is Explaining and Losing on Abortion

By
Blue Virginia
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12

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

Trump is Explaining and Losing on Abortion

Donald Trump is clear: he wants to rip away reproductive freedom

Donald Trump ran for President promising to punish women.

As President he succeeded, bragging that he was able to “kill Roe” and that “without” him there would be no extreme abortion bans harming women and health care providers across the country.

Just last night in an interview with racist conspiracy theorist and birther Wayne Allyn Root, Trump praised abortion bans with no exceptions for rape, incest, or life the of the mother, saying “many states have solved the problem.”

Now as he runs again, what he and his allies are planning is even more dangerous.

Trump is not muddying the waters on abortion, he’s scrambling, ducking, and trying to hide his true position – that he and his Project 2025 allies would ban abortion nationwide through federal legislation or without Congress at all – all while endorsing the most extreme state abortion bans in the country.

It’s not working. You know how we know?

The abortion banners know Donald Trump will ban abortion.

Let’s be clear:

  • At no point in his statement yesterday did Donald Trump rule out signing a national abortion ban if it hit his desk.
  • Donald Trump has already come out and supported a national abortion ban – including as President.
  • Donald Trump did endorse every extreme ban with no exceptions that threatens women’s lives and criminalizes physicians and nurses across the country.
  • Donald Trump will allow his Project 2025 allies to criminalize and rip away access to abortion medication as officials in his future Administration – and they’re ready.

Back to last night, the question becomes which states have “solved the problem” Donald? He can vote on a near-total ban in Florida this November. Will he vote to “solve that problem” too?

Trump should pick a state where they have “solved” the problem:

The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson Sarafina Chitika:

“Ripping away fundamental freedoms is a loser at the ballot box, and Donald Trump is twisting himself in knots trying to justify his extreme and dangerous record on abortion. No one is buying it. After bragging repeatedly about overturning Roe, Trump just last night fully endorsed the most extreme state bans across the country – bans that are costing women their freedom, their health, and their futures. We agree: each and every one of those cruel bans couldn’t have happened without him – and the American people will vote accordingly this November.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

UPDATE: 

Levar Stoney for Governor Campaign “Internal” Poll Finds Initial 44%-11% Lead for Abigail Spanberger Shrinks to 34%-30% (“a near dead heat”) After Positive Info Provided About Both Candidates

By
lowkell
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4

See below for some brand-new “internal” poll results by the Levar Stoney for Governor campaign. Highlights of the poll, “conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) among 734 likely Democratic Primary voters,” include:

  • According to Stoney’s campaign memo, the PPP poll “mirrors what public polls have shown, namely that [Abigail] Spanberger has an advantage in the initial trial heat because of the high name recognition (59%) she has achieved from running highly expensive campaigns since 2018 in both the Richmond and DC media markets,” including “$25 million spent on TV.” In contrast, the Stoney campaign argues that “Mayor Stoney is known mostly only in Richmond and has a 26% statewide name ID.” So, the Stoney campaign concludes, “not surprisingly, the initial trial heat starts with Spanberger holding a 44%-11% advantage, with 45% undecided.”
  • The poll finds that, after positive information about each candidate is provided to voters, Spanberger’s lead falls to 34%-30%, with 36% undecided – “a near dead heat,” as the Stoney campaign puts it.

Of course, as the Stoney campaign correctly points out, the primary “is over 14 months away, an eternity in campaigns.” I’d add that a LOT can and will happen between now and then – including the presidential election, which will determine whether or not we still have a democracy – and that at this point, people are definitely not focused on 2025. We’ll see what happens once campaigns really get going in early 2025.

Youngkin’s Veto of Bill That “protects a provider’s medical license against unwarranted claims and attacks for providing legal healthcare services is a disgrace”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From VA State Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Carroll Foy Responds To Governor Youngkin’s Veto of Bills Aimed at Upholding Reproductive Rights and Ensuring Professional Integrity

April 9, 2024 | Richmond, VA – Today, Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy issued the following
statement in response to the Governor’s veto of SB 716/HB 519:

The Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 716 is a disregard for both the integrity of medical professionals, as well as the continued, undeniable support that Virginians have shown for reproductive freedoms across the Commonwealth.

SB 716, championed by Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy, is a crucial effort aimed at ensuring that healthcare providers offering abortion care are treated with the dignity and professionalism they rightfully deserve. By explicitly prohibiting any attempts to discipline or penalize doctors solely for providing this essential healthcare service, the legislation upholds the cornerstone principle that medical decisions should be made by patients in consultation with their trusted healthcare providers, devoid of political interference or
coercion.

“Legislation such as SB 716 is necessary and needed. On ballot after ballot, in one election after another, the American people have made it clear that the right to an abortion is crucial,” stated Senator Carroll Foy. “WE are on the right side of history on this issue. I will never stop fighting for the reproductive freedoms that the vast majority of Virginians value.”

This legislation transcends mere protection of women’s rights; it is a testament to the recognition of the expertise and unwavering dedication of medical professionals who offer indispensable healthcare services. By safeguarding their ability to practice medicine without fear of reprisal or discrimination, SB 716 fosters a healthcare environment that prioritizes patient well-being and respects the judicious judgment of physicians. This veto demonstrates a tolerance for attempts to intimidate or harass healthcare providers.

In response to the veto of this legislation, advocates for reproductive freedoms had this to say:

“The Governor’s actions on this commonsense bill that simply protects a provider’s medical license against unwarranted claims and attacks for providing legal healthcare services is a disgrace,” said Tarina Keene, Executive Director of REPRO Rising Virginia. “In this post-Roe landscape, we must remain vigilant to ensure Virginia remains a central access point for care, protect the patients who need services no matter where they come from, and the courageous medical providers that work every day to ensure people can exercise their bodily autonomy safely and with dignity. We will not stop until this is a true
reality.”

“We are deeply disappointed by Governor Youngkin’s decision to veto crucial legislation aimed at protecting the licenses of Virginia health care providers offering legal abortion care,” stated Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. “By vetoing this bill and failing to take an important stand against overzealous prosecution, the Governor has sent a discouraging message to Virginian health care professionals dedicated to reproductive rights and to the patients that rely on the availability of essential health services.”

“We are disappointed but not surprised by the veto of this and other popular and important legislation dealing with abortion rights and protecting our patients and providers. We know that there is a widespread and insidious project of intimidation, criminalization, and attack on our reproductive rights, on doctors, other medical providers, and on anyone who helps a pregnant person make the best decision for themself. Bills like this one are important steps in protecting the network of care available to those who need it,” said Kenda Sutton-El, Executive Director of Birth In Color. “We hope that in the future, Virginia can be a state that protects our doctors, and respects and empowers patients. We at Birth In Color are committed to continuing the project of working for this brighter future with our partners and our allies.”

“Doctors should be allowed to provide health care to their patients without interference from the government. This is especially true of doctors who are providing reproductive health care to pregnant people seeking abortion access,” said LaTwyla Matthias, Executive Director of Progress Virginia. “By vetoing this bill, Governor Youngkin is telling doctors that they should be sanctioned for simply doing their jobs. This is a disappointing setback, but people in our community have made it clear that they want everyone to have access to abortion care and we will ensure that this bill passes again next year.”

Video: VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell Says Youngkin’s Been “incredibly confrontational and aggressive”; “I’ve never seen a governor do a press conference regarding their budget amendments”

By
lowkell
-
15

Yesterday afternoon, VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell had some pointed comments about Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s vetoes, amendments, etc. See below for video, as well as highlights, including:

  • “We have not yet seen the detail of the governor’s 233 budget amendments yet, our staff hasn’t had a chance to analyze them, and his presentation has left us with a lot of questions…”
  • “First of all, while the governor had a very conciliatory tone today, this press conference he had today is pretty unprecedented in the…15 years I’ve served; I’ve never seen a governor do a press conference regarding their budget amendments and I think this this press event is really a distraction from the record number of vetos this Governor has issued, which is unprecedented in the history of our Commonwealth.”
  • “In terms of his presentation, I found it striking that the governor says he now opposes tax increases after he proposed one himself in his own budget. In the press conference, the governor’s staff took credit for a lot of proposals that were made in the budget by the Democrats in the House and the Senate and the General Assembly which were not in his original budget.”
  • “I also want to note that the tone of the Secretary of Finance at the outset regarding the state’s fiscal outlook was markedly different than the tone he gave at the first meeting of the Senate finance committee at the beginning of session. And I would encourage all of you to go back and look at the link I tweeted back to Secretary Cummings’ presentation in January where he said there were a lot of economic red flags on the horizon and a lot of recessionary pre-indicator in the Virginia economy that ought to give us significant caution in terms of how we budget. The presentation today was very rosy and rainbows and sunshine and as if we have lots of money to spend on everything we want. And that’s inconsistent with the tone the administration was taking in December and January…and that kind of inconsistency is very troubling.”
  • “From our perspective, the governor continues to engage in these sort of campaign-style events and branding of his  initiatives, which is not something we normally see out of Virginia governors. In a lot of ways, it feels like this governor has not yet left campaign mode and moved into governing mode, and he’s continued to be sort of take a very partisan tone with regard to a lot of his policy proposals.”
  • “I noted that the governor said that he continues to oppose us staying in RGGI. I would note that the RGGI situation is currently still in litigation because the General Assembly and many other people believe the governor’s action withdrawing us from RGGI was illegal. Virginia law required us to join RGGI and he pulled us out by executive action which was not authorized. And that’s going to continue to be a bone of contention.”
  • “The big questions with regard to the budget you just heard is we have serious questions as to whether or not this budget can be structurally balanced. The governor’s prior budget which he claimed was balanced raided…state literary fund, it raided our Revenue Reserve fund, it used one-time money from construction to fund ongoing expenses, it used a bunch of tricks to so-called balance our budget which is required by our constitution.”
  • “In the presentation you just heard, you didn’t hear any explanation as to how the governor is dealing with the $2.4 billion carry-forward from the last budget or the $800 million in our Revenue Reserve fund. And from my perspective, maybe at Carlyle it’s okay to say a budget is structurally balanced when you use onetime money. But unlike Carlyle or private equity, firms the general assembly has to follow our constitution, which requires a balanced budget. And we have to work with our bond rating agencies to ensure the long-term solvency of our Commonwealth and ensure our long-term AAA bond rating which we’ve held now for almost a 100 years. And as is often the case, it’s Virginians and it’s the General Assembly who are the ones who often have to do the serious work and continue to live with the consequences of what’s often short-term fiscal recklessness that’s proposed by governors that they propose in order to make the news. And so we’re going to be looking at these proposals very carefully to make make sure that the budget is structurally balanced in accordance with our constitution, with our bond agency obligations. And we’re going to make sure that this budget, these amendments provide the level of services that Virginians expect given the level of wealth and income and expectations of our citizens…We have a lot of work to do to evaluate these 233 amendments. I don’t remember any Governor ever proposed 233 amendments and it’s obviously going to take take some time to get through all that.”
  • “His budget didn’t have the same pay increase for teachers, state employees, and it also didn’t have 3%. That’s just one example, but a lot of the natural resource commitments weren’t in there…There was a whole series of things.”
  • “Our obligation is to is to balance the budget in accordance with the constitution, in accordance with what our rating agencies expect to maintain our bond rating. And if we’re going to maintain the level level of spending that we had in our prior budget and maintain the budget priorities we had, the  modest tax modernization that we had in our last proposal was necessary in order to get the revenues to support that level of service.”
  • “I think there could be serious constitutional questions with exactly how he proposed his amendments, because you know under our constitution, you can’t propose amendments where you decouple revenue and spending, because then you end up having a a constitutionally unbalanced budget which would be illegal.”
  • “He’s clearly trying to to make up for the fact that he’s vetoed more bills than any other governor in the history of the Commonwealth and make it appear that he’s not being nearly as confrontational or partisan as he’s been for the last three weeks. But I also suspect that tonight you’re probably going to see another 20 to 50 vetoes come out of his office, but he didn’t bother to talk about that today either so we’ll see how people are feeling after the governor has issued probably over 200 vetos by the time this is said and done. You know, 200 vetoes doesn’t really set the tone for ‘hey, let’s hold hands and get get along and sing kumbaya’.”
  • “He likes to say lots of things but that doesn’t always necessarily mean they’re true. And I can appreciate the fact that he wants to try to show he’s trying to work with us for the press, but the reality is I don’t know how somebody who drops 200 vetoes in an unprecedented manner and has a press conference no governor’s ever had before, could be seen as trying to be conciliatory. He’s trying to cover up for the fact that he’s been incredibly confrontational and aggressive with vetoing very modest policy proposals, many of which are supported by over 70% of Voters on in polling…including the retail sale of marijuana, raising our minimum wage to $15 an hour, and he won’t even have dialogue about it.”
  • “The Constitution says that we can take up to 10 days in veto session to consider these things, so we’ll see if we end up going just one day like usual or whether we take a few days to look at it. I haven’t talked to the House leadership or or my own caucus yet about about how long it’s going to take to get through all this, but we are going to have a pretty significant amount of work compared to what we usually have to do in a veto session. So I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up having to take more than one day.”
  • “Again, the big question we have is exactly how did he make this balance, without having the revenue changes we proposed. He did not explain in his presentation what he’s doing with the $2.4 billion revenue carry-forward from last year’s budget or the $800 million revenue reserve fund. And in his last budget, he claimed it was structurally balanced when he was using one-time money to pay for all kinds of things and he didn’t have any plans on how to pay for anything in year two. I mean, you don’t structurally balance a two-year budget by using one-time money in year one and then figuring it out later. Maybe that’s how you do it in business, but that’s not how we do it in Virginia. And so we need to we need to carefully look at all this to see whether this budget is consistent with Virginia’s traditions and our fiscal
    conservatism that has allowed us to keep that bond rating for almost 100 years.”

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