Virginia General Assembly to return to Richmond next week to resolve budget

The Virginia General Assembly will return to Richmond Sept. 6 to complete work on long-delayed amendments to the state budget following a proclamation by Gov. Glenn Youngkin Tuesday evening. 

“Today, I am calling Virginia’s lawmakers back to Richmond to reach a resolution on the state budget,” Youngkin said in a release. “Virginians deserve it. To make Virginia more affordable for families and local businesses, we must deliver on our shared goals for more jobs, safer and healthier communities, greater workforce and educational opportunities and much needed tax relief for Virginians.” 

The Virginia Constitution gives the governor the power to call special sessions of the part-time legislature when he believes it is in “the interest of the Commonwealth.” The governor must convene a special session if two-thirds of both chambers request it.

Tuesday’s proclamation follows an announcement by the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate last week that negotiators had finally reached an agreement on amendments to the state’s two-year budget after months of stalemate. 

[Read more: Virginia budget negotiators announce deal on tax rebates, new education investments]

While details of the agreement remain scarce, a statement from the chief negotiators — Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, and Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach — said the deal includes $200 tax rebates for individuals and $400 rebates for families, as well as increases in the standard deduction, a revival of the state tax holiday that lapsed and the removal of the age requirement for the military retiree subtraction.

Major investments in education and behavioral health are expected to be part of the budget package, which will outline plans on the spending of Virginia’s more than $3.6 billion surplus. 

The General Assembly will convene in Richmond Sept. 6 at 10 a.m.