General Assembly Session closes without passing final budget

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The politically divided Virginia General Assembly worked through dozens of pieces of legislation, including a major energy bill and stop-gap budget bill, on Saturday as lawmakers reached the end of their regularly scheduled session without a deal on the entire state spending plan.

Unable to agree on several key pieces of the budget, including whether to enact the additional $1 billion in tax cuts Gov. Glenn Youngkin is seeking, lawmakers opted to pass a “skinny” spending bill and allow House and Senate negotiators to carry on with their broader discussions.

“We have come to an agreement on critical items that need to go forward now while we continue a dialogue in the coming days and weeks,” Senate Finance and Appropriations co-chair Janet Howell said.

Saturday marked the end of the year’s regular 46-day calendar. Much of this year’s legislation cleared one chamber only to be killed in the other.

But lawmakers have found bipartisan consensus on a range of other issues, including the last-minute passage of the compromise energy bill, which would adjust the way state regulators set and oversee Dominion Energy Virginia’s electric rates and profitability in a way ratepayer advocates say is favorable for customers and marks a sea change in energy policy.