Governor Northam introduced his budget back in December, 2020. The Senate Finance Committee and House Appropriations have both amended the budget to take into account their legislative priorities. Those will have to be reconciled and sent back to the Governor.
Restores the $300 million 2022 deposit to the Rainy Day Reserve Fund (taken out when the budget was agreed upon last session due to uncertain costs of the pandemic; and includes an additional $350 million deposit for 2022.
$89.3 million spending for mass coronavirus vaccination
$40.7 million increase funding to Virginia Housing Trust Fund
Includes “No Loss” protection to ensure that school districts that experienced sudden enrollment drops (due to COVID, and after staffing and local budget decisions were made under expected state funding levels) do not lose funding.
$79.8 million spending for 2% teacher pay raises; $26.6 million to fund one school counselor per 325 students
$97.8 million for a one-time bonus of $1500 for most state employees
$36 million to restore funding to the Governor’s G3 program (“Get skilled, get a job, give back”)
$25 million for marijuana and expungement legislation
$5 million for Court of Appeals expansion; $5 million for other 2021 legislation
$19.9 million for Richmond Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site, Virginia Emancipation & Freedom Monument, and for redesigning Monument Avenue
$15.3 million for Virginia Telecommunication Initiative broadband access expansion
Strikes the $4.9 million for Court of Appeals expansion after HB2112 (Herring-HD46) was left in House Courts committee
Adds $13.1 million to create and run the proposed automatic expungement process with petition for resentencing, assuming passage of HB2113 (Herring-HD46)
Adds $130 million more to Rainy Day Fund than the Governor’s budget
Removes Governor’s increase to Housing Trust Fund meant for rent and mortgage relief that has been replaced with federal funds
Funds 5% teacher pay raise ($231 million), 3.5% pay increase for most state workers ($168 million), and one-time $1000 bonus to corrections officers ($7.5 million)
$5 million to fund electric vehicle rebate program as described in HB1979 (Reid-HD32)
Replaces part of the mass vaccination spending with federal funds
Spends $57.2 million from federal funds and $9.6 million of general funds to create child care subsidy program described in HB2206 (Filler-Corn-HD41)
$3.4 million for sick leave required by HB2137 (Guzman-HD31) for Medicaid home workers
$30 million in federal funding to address COVID-related learning loss
$321,587 compensation to Ms. Esther Thorne, who was wrongfully incarcerated and exonerated after six years in prison
Minority Leader Gilbert (HD15) attempted a floor amendment to the budget to require schools offer in-person instruction, which was voted down; additionally, he attempted a floor amendment to change reporting names of deceased to voter registrar to weekly rather than monthly, which also was voted down
3% pay increase for most state employees ($118.1 million)
Increases ratio of support staff (nurses, psychologists, social workers) per pupil at schools, $49 million)
$1.9 million in savings from reducing # SOLs to federal minimum under SB1401 (Pillion-SD40)
Restores funding to Rainy Day Fund, but does not increase it as in the House budget amendments
$10 million community development financial institutions grant fund to provide loans, grants or forgivable loans to small businesses or community revitalization real estate projects in Virginia
Replaces all proposed general fund spending on mass vaccination efforts with federal relief funds
$2.1 million dollars net to create a Chesterfield County Public Defenders Office, per SB1442 (Morrissey-SD16)
Adds to the Governor’s costs of expanding the Appeals Court an additional $7.5 million to fund new positions in the Attorney General’s office related to appeals, described in SB1261 (Edwards-SD21)
Funds $30 million to address COVID-related learning loss from Lottery Funds (rather than federal funds used in House version)
Senate budget includes an amendment that would require schools to offer in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year
Senate budget also contains an amendment that would withhold funding to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for Virginia’s contribution to the operations of WMATA unless the McLean Metro Station is renamed McLean-Capital One Hall.
If any of the above bills are important to you, now is the time to contact your legislators and tell them how this bill affects you and your family. Contact information for Delegates and Senators can be found HERE; if you aren’t sure who represents you, put your address in HERE to find out.
Virginia Progressive Legislative Alert Network
PO Box 2612, Merrifield Virginia 22116-2612 United States
