Virginia lawmakers head back to Richmond this week with Republicans hoping to pass an overdue budget and Democrats looking to secure millions of dollars for a new Metrorail line to Dulles International Airport.
The volatile budget vote comes Tuesday and is followed by Wednesday’s veto session, when the General Assembly will act on Gov. Bob McDonnell’s seven vetoes and the 130 amendments he proposed to bills previously approved by lawmakers, including drastic changes to a controversial voter identification bill.
All eyes will be on Sen. Chuck Colgan, D-Manassas, who broke ranks with Democrats to support a Republican-backed budget deal that cut out new money for the Dulles Rail project. Northern Virginia Democrats wanted McDonnell and Republicans to guarantee $150 million to $300 million for the rail project so that Dulles Toll Road fees wouldn’t have to be increased as much to fund the rail line.
Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, warned Democratic supporters last week that without the extra state funding, motorists in the Washington region could end up paying $2,200 more in tolls per year.
Colgan told The Washington Examiner Friday that he still hasn’t decided whether to vote for the Republican budget or with his fellow Democrats once the budget reaches the Senate floor.
“You can kill the budget, but then we’d have to start all over again,” Colgan said, noting that the General Assembly is already operating in a special session after failing to agree on a spending plan last month. On Friday, state transportation officials began notifying contractors that road work could stall if the impasse continues.
Republicans are optimistic Colgan will side with them after they conceded to a number of Democratic demands on spending for K-12 education and social services.
“If I had to bet, I’d say it’ll get the votes,” said House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Fredericksburg. “It’s a good compromise.”
Wednesday’s veto session is expected to be considerably milder than the budget fight, though lawmakers are sharply divided over McDonnell’s decision to pare back a voter ID bill.
The General Assembly approved legislation that requires voters to cast a provisional ballot if they don’t have the necessary photo ID and then return to the polls with the proper identification before their vote would be counted. McDonnell wants to allow voters without ID to sign the ballot and, if that signature matches the one on file with the elections office, the ballot would be counted immediately.
Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg, who sponsored the House version of the bill, said he’s OK with the amendments.
“It’s reasonable,” Cole said. “It will provide a significant improvement over what we have now.”
