VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In the hours leading up to a midnight deadline, Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed a new version of the state budget that he said he hopes Republicans and Democrats can find "common ground" with.
"I believe that first step in finding common ground is recognizing that we have to make the decision together," Youngkin said on Monday.
In his newest proposal, Youngkin said there will be no tax increases or decreases to the budget and instead more focus will be brought on raising teacher pay by 3%.
This is a big switch for Youngkin, who previously released a December version of the budget that overhauled the state tax system. Most notably, Youngkin proposed cutting state income taxes while simultaneously raising sales tax.
In the months following, the Democrat-controlled legislature nixed Youngkin's ideas in both the House and Senate.
"It's all part of the bargaining process. What will be interesting to see is what will happen when Democrats and Republicans return later this month," said Leslie Caughell, assistant professor of Political Science at Virginia Wesleyan College.
In the meantime, Youngkin has dozens of bills currently sitting on his desk that could soon become law. This will happen if Youngkin gives his signature or if he does nothing. It will only be stopped if Youngkin uses his veto power or sends it back to the General Assembly with added amendments.
Notable legislation still waiting on the Governor's desk includes a bill that would re-legalize skill games across the Commonwealth and a bill that would establish a person's right to contraception. Both could become law if Youngkin does not use his veto power, which he has used more than 100 times during this session.
As for amended bills, Democrats and Republicans will return to Richmond on April 17 to take up the bills once again. If legislators accept the changes, the bill becomes law. If not, the bill will be returned to the Governor for final consideration.