Virginia lawmakers said they were close to a compromise on the state’s two-year biennial budget Thursday evening.
“We are 99 and nine-tenths resolved. That other little one-tenth, we get hung up on,” said Del. Vince Callahan, R-McLean, who was confident an agreement would be sent to the printers this morning.
“I hope he is right,” said Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas.
Colgan said the Senate conferees passed a proposal to the House conferees at about 1 p.m., but hadn’t received any official word from them by 5:30 p.m. An assembly staffer did tell the Senate conferees that “it looks like a real close deal,” Colgan said.
“I would caution you that we have heard that before, but we remain hopeful that the agreement comes before we have to take precipitous action,” said Kevin Hall, a spokesman for Gov. Tim Kaine.
Callahan said if the conference committee approved the bill Thursday night, it would take two days for staffers to get the agreement into proper form to be presented to the full legislature. Once passed, the bill goes to Kaine for a constitutional seven-day review.
“I’m not sure any governor has had to do it in seven days. Typically, they are done in April,” said Hall, who added that the governor is “anxious to review their work.”
