Senate Democrats are at odds with House Democrats and the Democrat in the Executive Mansion over the budget. And they are not likely to resolve their differences anytime soon.
Ask former Governor Glenn Youngkin what happens when you find yourself on the wrong side of Senator Louise Lucas, chairwoman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. She took his proposal for a sports arena in Alexandria and pounded it into dust. Now, she's standing firm against an effort by House Democrats and Governor Abigail Spanberger to keep a $1 billion tax break for data centers.
"You all know what my position is, and I'm very firm on it, is that they just pay their fair share of the taxes," Senator Lucas said to reporters on the topic a few weeks ago.
The last time Virginia failed to have a budget by the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1st was when Republicans had the trifecta, and Republican Governor Jim Gilmore clashed with Senate Republicans over the car tax. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, he says he should have publicly taken on Senate Republicans.
"And now I can look back and say that was a mistake. I should have taken the Republican senators on and fought them publicly," Gilmore says. "That's what my advice would be to Governor Spanberger. If she's passive on this, if she does not fight Senator Lucas on the merits of the issue, then she will be a loser."
Members of the General Assembly are scheduled to gavel into a special session Thursday to consider a solution to the budget impasse, although so far it looks like there's no solution in sight.
