The House of Delegates Appropriations Committee passed a state budget that increases the salaries of state employees, balances the budget to address “shortfalls”, funds higher education initiatives and capital improvement projects at specific universities, and targets medical spending in lieu of expanding Medicaid.
The full house is expected to vote on (and pass) the budget before Tuesday’s “crossover.”
From a House Republican Caucus press release, here is what they consider the key components of the budget:
Conservative Budget
– Sets aside $99.5 million for rainy-day fund deposit in 2017, which will bring the balance back to ~$400 million
– Eliminates $42.5 million in debt proposed by Governor McAuliffe
– Provide $43 million in funding in order to accelerate funding at 90% of VRS certified rates for the state employee retirement plans.
– Pays cash for all capital projects & includes no new debt
– Eliminates $10.2 million in fees proposed by Governor McAuliffe: Restaurant Inspection Fee, VDACS Inspection Fee, Weights & Measures Fee, Underground storage cleanup deductibleK-12 Education
– State funding for 1.5% teacher pay raise
– Overall increase of $60 million for K-12 education compared to Governor McAuliffe’s budget proposal
– Deposits an additional $40 million into teacher retirement fund compared to Governor McAuliffe’s budget proposal, bringing the total deposit to $190 millionCompensation
– Provides 1.5% across-the-board raise for state police and state employees, including compression for senior classified employees
– $4 million to rollback cuts to state police overtime
– 2% pay raise for state-supported local employees
– Total compensation package is $153.5 millionHigher Education
– $19.8 million for enrollment at colleges and universities
– 2% faculty salary pay raise (excluding UVA, VT, W&M)
– $1,000 per student incentive to encourage colleges and universities with low graduation rates to accept transfer students
– $100 million for capital construction projects at James Madison, Virginia Tech, Longwood, Radford and Virginia Commonwealth University
– $1 million for cancer research at VCU & $1 million for cancer research at UVAHealthcare Safety Net
– $124.5 million for healthcare safety net
– Funding to provide targeted services to 29,000 seriously mentally-ill patients, including a prescription drug benefit
– Nearly doubles operational funding for free clinics – total of $6 million in funding
– Funds behavioral health community services including two new PACT teams and five new drop-off centers
– Increases funding for children’s psychiatry and crisis servicesOther Items
– $20 million in funding for the Governor’s Opportunity Fund, but less than the $28 million the Governor requested
– $1 million for the See Virginia tourism advertising initiative, which is a partnership with broadcasters that leverages $3 for every $1 invested.
– $500,000 for Ethics Advisory Council
