Legislative Update: June 5, 2006
This is week eight of the special session of the General Assembly and budget negotiations continue. The House and Senate budget conferees have been meeting this week and there has been slow but steady progress on creating a compromise budget.
The budget discussions now center upon capital expenditures. Capital expenditures include the money to be spent on construction of state buildings which include college buildings, hospitals, state office buildings and other material items. They say that the devil is always in the details and these discussions are no different. The differences in these discussions are over how these dollars for capital projects are to be spent. Should there be expenditures to plan then wait to build or should the planning and building take place at one time? Then there is the discussion about which building projects should or should not be included in the budget.
The budget negotiations have been testy at times with patience running thin knowing that there is the desire to have a proposed compromise budget done by Tuesday, June 6th. The Governor, Senator Chichester and Delegate Callahan will be meeting next week in New York with the various companies that rate the state’s financial capabilities. These companies want an update as to whether the state will have a budget adopted by July 1st. It is my strong desire that the budget work be completed so that we have a budget to vote on this coming week. I believe that this can happen.
I have passed on my comments to the budget negotiators on a number of budget items that affect our district. They include a request to restore funding taken away from the Northern Neck Regional Jail, next is to restore funding for the Land Conservation Tax Credits and also to restore funding for high speed internet planning in the district. I am hopeful that these items will get back into the budget and remain there. I know that many folks are waiting anxiously for the budget to be adopted including local governments and teachers who have to make decisions on contracts with salaries that are conditioned upon the adoption of a state budget.
I began this past week in the district by speaking at a Memorial Day service at Historic Christ Church in Weems and attended the service at Bethel United Methodist Church in Lively. This was a great opportunity to honor those service men and women who have given so much for our country.
On Tuesday, May 30th, I attended a Lancaster County Volunteer Recognition Ceremony hosted by Bay Aging. Thursday, June 1st, I had the opportunity to give the Commencement Speech for the Northern Neck Technical Center’s graduation. I wish those young men and women who worked so hard to earn their certificates great success.
This past weekend was packed full of great events. On Saturday, June 3rd, I began my day at a community breakfast in Bowling Green. From there I headed to the Northumberland Relay for Life walk. Then later that evening I headed to Upperville where I and other environmentally conscious delegates were honored by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. I also attended two Eagle Scout Ceremonies over the weekend.
I would like to urge you to contact me if I can ever be of assistance. I can be reached by phone at 804-493-0508, or email at robwittman@verizon.net.
The budget discussions now center upon capital expenditures. Capital expenditures include the money to be spent on construction of state buildings which include college buildings, hospitals, state office buildings and other material items. They say that the devil is always in the details and these discussions are no different. The differences in these discussions are over how these dollars for capital projects are to be spent. Should there be expenditures to plan then wait to build or should the planning and building take place at one time? Then there is the discussion about which building projects should or should not be included in the budget.
The budget negotiations have been testy at times with patience running thin knowing that there is the desire to have a proposed compromise budget done by Tuesday, June 6th. The Governor, Senator Chichester and Delegate Callahan will be meeting next week in New York with the various companies that rate the state’s financial capabilities. These companies want an update as to whether the state will have a budget adopted by July 1st. It is my strong desire that the budget work be completed so that we have a budget to vote on this coming week. I believe that this can happen.
I have passed on my comments to the budget negotiators on a number of budget items that affect our district. They include a request to restore funding taken away from the Northern Neck Regional Jail, next is to restore funding for the Land Conservation Tax Credits and also to restore funding for high speed internet planning in the district. I am hopeful that these items will get back into the budget and remain there. I know that many folks are waiting anxiously for the budget to be adopted including local governments and teachers who have to make decisions on contracts with salaries that are conditioned upon the adoption of a state budget.
I began this past week in the district by speaking at a Memorial Day service at Historic Christ Church in Weems and attended the service at Bethel United Methodist Church in Lively. This was a great opportunity to honor those service men and women who have given so much for our country.
On Tuesday, May 30th, I attended a Lancaster County Volunteer Recognition Ceremony hosted by Bay Aging. Thursday, June 1st, I had the opportunity to give the Commencement Speech for the Northern Neck Technical Center’s graduation. I wish those young men and women who worked so hard to earn their certificates great success.
This past weekend was packed full of great events. On Saturday, June 3rd, I began my day at a community breakfast in Bowling Green. From there I headed to the Northumberland Relay for Life walk. Then later that evening I headed to Upperville where I and other environmentally conscious delegates were honored by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. I also attended two Eagle Scout Ceremonies over the weekend.
I would like to urge you to contact me if I can ever be of assistance. I can be reached by phone at 804-493-0508, or email at robwittman@verizon.net.
posted by Blake Hite at 10:19 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home