RICHMOND, Va. — Next week, Virginia lawmakers will meet again in Richmond to figure out how the state plans to spend billions of dollars in tax revenue.
13News Now talked to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin about the latest budget amendments he sent back to the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. He believes they've found some common ground after he sent more than 200 amendments back to lawmakers.
After weeks of calling the first proposed budget "backward", his amended budget leaves room for a sizable increase in K-12 school spending and childcare. He's asking for a compromise on tax policy from both sides of the aisle.
"In my introduced budget from December, I included a billion dollars of tax decreases," Youngkin said. "I think we can afford it but I think our big step toward common ground is to concede that, and for the General Assembly to concede tax increases."
Earlier in the week, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said lawmakers would be closely scrutinizing the governor's amendments to ensure that the budget remained structurally balanced and that the amendments “provide the level of services that Virginians expect, given the level of wealth and income and expectations of our citizens.”
Senator Louise Lucas, who chairs the budget-writing committee in the Virginia Senate, has criticized Youngkin on social media, calling it “unimaginable” that the governor would ask Democrats to work with him, given the record number of vetoes he's been issuing.
The state operates on a two-year budget cycle, with the spending plan initially adopted in even-numbered years. Lawmakers and Youngkin are currently working to come to terms on a framework that would begin with the start of the new fiscal year on July 1 and run through mid-2026.
The legislature takes up the new budget on Wednesday, April 17.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.