Budget

Governor McDonnell has proposed amendments to the transportation-funding package that was hammered out by conferees and passed by the General Assembly last month. 

Every five years, Virginia requires cities and counties to update plans for development – how and where they’ll grow. 

Many communities assume growth is good – and some even offer tax breaks to attract new industries and businesses, but a new report by Charlottesville economist David Shreve and planning consultant Craig Evans suggests that’s not the case if new companies hire people from elsewhere. 

While there's another threat of a government shutdown on March 27 unless the U.S. Senate and Congress reach some type of compromise, members of Virginia's Congressional delegation say some progress is being made.  There's even a possibility of reducing the impacts of sequestration on Virginia.  

Three budget amendments by Senator Mark Warner were approved. They address spending transparency, duplicate reports, and the federal retiree backlog.

Officials in Virginia are bracing for the impact of the federal budget cuts that start trickling down. Lawmakers in the commonwealth disagree about what should be done with the sequestration.

So now they’re dealing with the fallout: cuts to education, housing, healthcare, conservation programs – the list is seemingly endless. Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine says many federal workers and contractors in the commonwealth will feel those cuts directly.

President Obama was in Newport News, Virginia today highlighting the impact of pending budget cuts on the state's defense industry. Virginia Republicans are glad the president is highlighting the state's robust defense industry. But Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes says the president's time would have been better spent in Washington negotiating with congressional leaders.