Republican leaders in Richmond are moving forward with a budget agreement that will give state employees a raise. But, as Michael Pope tells us, they’re not yet saying how they’ll pay for it.
Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment says Republican leaders in the House and Senate are singing from the same hymnbook.
“The only word that comes to my mind at this point early in the stages as it is is kum bah yah.”
That’s kum bah yah among Republicans, who considered Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to give state employees a one-time bonus instead of a pay raise. But then...
“We rejected that as an acceptable approach and made the determination that a one-time commitment to our state employees in public safeties was inadequate.”
What is adequate, they say, is a 3% pay raise for state employees.
“Teachers are not included in that.”
That’s Republican Delegate Chris Jones of Suffolk, chairman of the House Budget Committee. He says teachers have already received extra money from their local governments.
“All but twelve jurisdictions gave raises. So they’ve already received their raises, all but twelve.”
Republicans took their moment in the spotlight to give the good news to state employees. But they declined to share the bad news, what they want to cut to pay for the raises.