BRADENTON, Fla. — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe called for a special legislative session after the House and Senate were unable to reach agreement on a state budget.
Lawmakers ended their regular session March 8 unable to agree on the biennial budget and whether to expand Medicaid eligibility to more than 400,000 residents.
"While we have proven that we are capable of working together for the common good on many issues, I am disappointed that politics have deadlocked budget negotiations this session, and forced Virginia families to continue to wait until we can bring their money back to expand much-needed health coverage across the Commonwealth," McAuliffe said, calling for a special session to start March 24.
McAuliffe, a Democrat, said he intends for the session to last three weeks so the House and Senate can resolve outstanding budget and healthcare debates. The GOP-controlled House and the Democratic-led Senate disagreed on expanding health coverage.
"While I regret that partisan politics have prevented the passage of a budget that funds the Commonwealth and closes the coverage gap, I have no doubt that members of the General Assembly will come together and find common ground early in the upcoming special session," he said.
McAuliffe supports expanding Medicaid, and said it would create up to 30,000 jobs and help the state net $1 billion in federal funds by 2022 in addition to providing health coverage.
In a wide-ranging letter, the governor also thanked lawmakers for passing his first bill, which was introduced on his behalf by Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Lebanon.
Senate Bill 673 authorizes the city of Bristol in southwest Virginia to use sales tax revenue to secure revenue bonds for the construction of a retail development called the Falls. The city has already issued $35 million in bond anticipation notes for land acquisition and project construction.
McAuliffe said SB 673 was essential to continue the progress of the project.
"I am honored to help this project move forward, which represents a significant local investment and has the expectation of 2,000 jobs for a region that needs them the most," he said.
