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Virginia lawmakers approve bipartisan spending plan
Weeks of Virginia state budget drama ended Monday with pledges of bipartisan goodwill as the General Assembly passed a compromise two-year spending plan that boosts funding for education and other priorities without increasing taxes. Votes in both the Senate and the House of Delegates were nearly unanimous. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who had raised the specter of an unprecedented state government shutdown by vowing not to sign the budget the legislature passed in March, rushed Monday to sign the new document after a special one-day legislative budget session.
VDOT buys Hanover building for $33.5M
The Virginia Department of Transportation has purchased the Mechanicsville headquarters of Owens & Minor for $33.5 million, with plans to move the state agency’s central office there in summer 2025. Much of VDOT’s staff will move from the Annex building at 1401 E. Broad St. into the new building at 9120 Lockwood Blvd. in Hanover County, according to Jessica Cowardin, assistant director of communications for the state agency. The 160,000-square-foot campus in Atlee Station Business Park was built by Timmons Group in 2006. VDOT also purchased an additional 50 acres, according to Newmark Group, which brokered the deal.
Youngkin signs bipartisan state budget, ending stalemate
The General Assembly on Monday approved a budget compromise for fiscal years 2024-26, ending a stalemate between Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Democrats that began in early March, when the legislature adjourned its regular session. The $188 billion spending plan, which includes no new tax increases, no additional tax relief and more than $2.5 billion in K-12 funding, passed in the House of Delegates 94-6 and in the Senate 39-1. The agreement averted an unprecedented government shutdown that loomed large ahead of July 1, when the new fiscal year begins.
Yellen visits Stafford amid effort to ensure rural areas no longer lag behind with broadband access
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen visited Stafford County Monday as part of President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America Agenda” to promote high-speed internet in rural areas. Representatives from Comcast walked Yellen through some examples of the equipment used to set up and maintain high-speed broadband networks, although much of the fiber-optic cable network is underground. The site on Richland Road represents nearly 700 homes in the western part of the county that now have access to service.
Federal official celebrates rural broadband effort in Stafford
Richland Baptist Church in Stafford County was crawling with federal officials and black SUVs on Monday, but the contingent was there to celebrate, not investigate. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her troops, along with Comcast and Stafford officials, descended on the property to tout a public–private partnership that brought high-speed broadband to the western part of the county. “While over 650 homes may seem like a small number to some, I assure you it is huge for us and means the world to our residents,” said Meg Bohmke, chair of the Stafford Board of Supervisors.
Ship departs for Virginia Beach offshore wind farm site to install monopiles
After a short delay, the first batch of wind turbine foundations is now travelling to the Virginia Beach offshore wind farm construction site, a Dominion Energy spokesperson said Monday. The enormous steel monopiles, each almost as long as a football field, are headed to the construction site 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The monopiles were loaded last week and the ship is now travelling to the site of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, Dominion Energy spokesperson Jeremy Slayton said in a text message.
State budget excludes funding for Health Wagon
A new state biennial budget does not include $800,000 originally earmarked for the Health Wagon, a Southwest Virginia medical provider. On Monday state lawmakers approved a compromise agreement with Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a special called session in Richmond. The Health Wagon funding was recently removed following controversy over sharp increases in the salaries of Health Wagon executives which recently came to light.
Virginia governor swiftly signs compromise budget deal
Public schools will get more funding, teachers and other government workers will see a pay bump and Virginia’s tax policy will remain as is under compromise budget legislation the Democratic-led General Assembly sent Monday to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who swiftly signed it. Youngkin and legislative leaders last week negotiated an end to their long-running standoff over the state’s next two-year spending plan, agreeing to use higher-than-expected revenues to help fund key priorities without implementing a hotly debated new sales tax on digital goods, such as streaming services and computer software.
Youngkin signs 2-year state budget, which includes toll relief for Hampton Roads
Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an $188 billion state budget proposal Monday, moments after it was passed by the General Assembly. The two-year spending plan nixes a potential new tax on digital goods — a priority for Youngkin, who initially suggested the idea before reversing course — but still manages to fund most of the projects prioritized by Democrats, including massive investments in education. Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas, who sat beside the governor as he signed the proposal into law, called the plan a “big win” for Virginia.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs $188B, 2-year budget in quick special session
Virginia lawmakers passed a $188 billion budget Monday, using unexpected tax money to fund spending increases General Assembly Democrats proposed in April, instead of a new digital sales tax that they had been at loggerheads over with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. When compared to the last two-year budget, the budget increases education funding by $2.5 billion; has a 3% raise for state employees, teachers, and support staff; and increases funding for child care by $500 million, according to a Senate summary.