Budget Do-Over, Skill Game Impasse, and Crumbling Schools
IN THE NEWS:
Forget public hearings and committee meetings--Virginia’s next budget will be crafted in secret behind closed doors with no input from the public and no transparency after lawmakers couldn't come to an agreement this week.
One of the most contentious debates in the General Assembly this year was the debate over what happens with slot-machine style gaming machines in convenience stores and truck stops. The governor's amendment limiting where the machines can be located was overwhelmingly rejected by the Senate.
Schools across Virginia are crumbling, which is why Senator Jeremy McPike of Prince William County introduced a bill to allow local governments to impose a sales tax to finance school construction. Some Republicans supported the original bill. But McPike was unable to persuade enough of them to get a supermajority vote to override the governor's veto.
At the Watercooler:
Uri Berliner's article criticizing NPR for a liberal bias causing a lack of public trust
Alexandria City Council debates--another will be held on May 4th, then a mayoral debate on June 8th.