State budget vote planned for today

RICHMOND — Legislative budget negotiators finished talks Saturday on a new bare-bones state budget and left their staffs to clean up the details before a vote today.

A dozen House and Senate members resolved major differences over public education and state-supported health care and revenue sources.

That left House and Senate money committee experts to toil through a night shortened by one hour by the switch to daylight-saving time.

House and Senate leaders expected final handshakes and signatures Saturday night on a compromise that the House and Senate will consider in 5 p.m. Sunday session.

House Republican and Democratic caucuses scheduled separate, closed-door briefings on the new budget at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively Sunday. The full Senate scheduled a 3 p.m. briefing, and a public briefing in the Capitol was scheduled for 4 p.m., just before the vote is taken.

While details were not available late Saturday afternoon, a major turning point was the softening of deep cuts the House had prescribed in state support for kindergarten through high school.

Del. S. Chris Jones said the accommodation by the Republican-led House negotiators with their Senate counterparts led by Democrats involved allowing school districts “maximum flexibility locally to make changes without affecting classroom instruction.”

The Senate reciprocated by reducing a schedule of new and increased fees that initially topped $300 million. Any compromise will contain draconian budget reductions, ensuring thousands of governmental layoffs and pressure on local governments to boost their taxes to preserve some services.