Virginia House Republicans slam amendment restrictions for August 2 special session

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – General Assembly finance committees will not accept amendments from lawmakers at next week’s special session, a plan criticized by Republicans who say the limits will prevent them from negotiating on how Virginia should use $ 4.3 billion in coronavirus relief aid.

House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian (Prince William) sent a note on July 19 advising state delegates that the House Committee, as well as the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, would not be considering not the proposed amendments and that potential changes to the regular state budget will be discussed next year.

“It would simply be impossible to thoroughly assess these elements in what is expected to be a short and quick special session,” Del wrote. Torian in the note.

The Republican leadership in the House of Delegates disputed the claim that there would not be enough time to debate the proposed amendments within the two weeks allotted for the session.

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In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, parliamentary minority leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) said his caucus believed there was enough time to debate proposed changes to state investments with the federal funding.

“It’s not too late to change course. Of course, our colleagues can still open this process. We were told we had to stay there for two weeks. If they just want to stick this down everyone’s throats, I have no idea why we have to be there longer than two hours, ”Del said. Gilbert. “But if we’re going to be there for two weeks, they might as well open this up and let us all participate.” Let’s do our job.

Gov. Ralph Northam has called for the special legislative session, which begins August 2, to allocate US bailout funds and fill the recess.

House Republicans who spoke at Tuesday’s press conference complained that the move would only allow members of Governor Northam’s administration and the Democratic leadership to decide how the state will use the 4, $ 3 billion in funding, eliminating lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and Virginians.

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“It will take a step outside the traditional process and really won’t allow the kind of back-and-forth, reflection and deliberation that we normally expect from a legislative body like the General Assembly,” Gilbert said. “The oldest current legislative body in the New World is suddenly transformed into a buffer for the governor’s ideas.”

Torian reiterated the goal of the special session in a statement Tuesday, adding that the governor’s office had previously explained how the state plans to spend the funding.

“It would be impossible to thoroughly assess the proposed amendments in the short period of this unique extraordinary session; our priority is to quickly find relief funds where they are needed, ”Torian said in the statement.

Northam announced investment proposals with federal funding ahead of the session, including $ 700 million to expand broadband infrastructure in Virginia, $ 353 million to help small businesses, $ 250 million to improve air quality systems in public schools and $ 411 million to reduce water pollution and increase access to clean water.

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