The General Assembly passed the final version of the state’s biennial budget on Wednesday, May 30th, and Governor Northam signed both House Bills 5001 and 5002 on Thursday, June 7th. It took longer than expected this year to craft our budget, but the final product is balanced and fundamentally invests in the core essential functions of state government (public education, public safety, public health, and public infrastructure) with no general fund tax increases. 

This is the final scheduled week of the 2018 Virginia General Assembly Session. At this time, there is not consensus on the state’s biennial budget. This is our only constitutional duty to accomplish while in Richmond.

Richmond, VA – The Speaker of the House of Delegates has appointed Delegate T. Scott Garrett, M.D. to the conference committee for the state budget bills. Six members of the House of Delegates serve on this committee to negotiate with the Senate conference committee members on the final budget conference reports.

The word for the week has been "budget." The most important thing we do in the General Assembly is pass a balanced, fiscally responsible biennial budget. In fact, it is our Constitutional responsibility.

This past Sunday, the House and Senate money committees released their separate versions of our Commonwealth’s biennial budget. I serve on the House Appropriations Committee and chair the Health and Human Resources subcommittee of that body.