RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers are in a mad scramble finalize passage of several top priorities for the new Democratic majority.
Lawmakers have only a few days left to pass legislation before this year's legislative session is set to end but are at an impasse on a number of high-profile bills, including legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and a bill to require universal background checks on gun purchases.
And legislators still need to pass a $135 billion two-year state budget while resolving key differences between competing versions of bills that would legalize casino gambling and undo the state’s existing ban on public sector collective bargaining.