Virginia House of Delegates Leadership gathered in Richmond Friday morning to announce their amendment proposal to the long-delayed state budget. It includes a new effort to study the impact from data centers and a legal retail market for marijuana.
“This budget is our promise kept to the teacher, the trooper, the firefighter, the healthcare worker just trying to make ends meet,” said Democratic House Speaker Don Scott. He noted the document included billions of dollars for raises for state employees and teachers as well as childcare, SNAP and subsidies to help those impacted by President Donald Trump’s federal cuts.
Included in the document is a section called the Data Center Accountability Act which includes a new Commission to study the impacts from the controversial facilities. Senate President Louise Lucas has said she won't support a budget that keeps existing tax breaks for the industry, but this document does include them.
A report from the new commission would be due in November. Scott said they could hold a special session after that’s released and make more changes then.
“We get to look under the hood, see what’s going on in a responsible, thoughtful, sober-minded way, build a real framework and execute,” Scott said. “That‘s what we want from our data centers, for our citizens, we want real accountability.”
Meanwhile, Senate leadership, including Lucas, appear on track for a fight over the data center tax breaks. She has a series of town hall events scheduled for next week in Chesterfield and Virginia Beach.
But Scott said the document released Friday was still open to negotiations.
“It’s never take it or leave it," he said. "We have too much respect for the senate”
All 100 legislators return to Richmond over the next week or so to consider the new budget. A final funding agreement is due by July 1.
