RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – State budget talks at the Virginia Statehouse stalled again over the weekend.
Now, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is signaling she could support legislation to create a regulated adult-use retail market for marijuana in that budget.
“They can put real constraints and guidelines on a market with ensuring that we are working in the best interest of Virginians, certainly protecting kids,” said Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), Virginia.
Gov. Spanberger vetoed what democrats passed earlier this year after the General Assembly rejected her changes to the policy.
“That’s legislating through the budget. It is something that is not supposed to be done,” said State Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R), 12th District.
After an optimistic start last week, negotiations stopped again, with state senators taking to social media to share their frustrations over all the tension.
A key point of the conflict centers around tax exemptions for data centers in the commonwealth.
The House wants to keep the exemptions, but the state senate does not.
Virginia has never had a state government shutdown.
“It’s negotiations. I mean, we do a budget every two years. A large one like this biennium. It’s the house and the senate doing what they’re supposed to do,” said State Sen. Mike Jones, (D) 15th District.
The data center tax break amounts to about two billion dollars in potential revenue each year.
“Virginia is required under the Constitution to have a budget. We’ve always had a budget, and now we’ve got unfortunately, a lot of intra-party fighting and squabbles that are looking like we are going to get very close to a government shutdown,” said State Sen. Sturtevant.
And the weed debate could be what’s needed to get lawmakers on the same page and pass a state budget.
“It is a way out of an impasse. And clearly, at this point, the democrats running the governorship and legislature need. They need ways out of impasses,” said Larry Sabato, UVa Center for Politics Executive Director.
The House of Delegates comes back on June 18 and the State Senate on June 22. The budget deadline is June 30.
Spanberger’s office released this statement on Friday about budget negotiations.
“I am grateful to the General Assembly leaders who have been working in good faith to pass a budget that invests in Virginia.
“Throughout this process, I have been engaged with legislative partners. I have made my priorities clear — including raises for teachers and other public employees, funding to address rising Medicaid costs and the impacts of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ and working to make Virginia more affordable, including by investing in housing and childcare programs.
“I have also been clear that data centers in Virginia need to pay their fair share for energy consumption. I have brought proposals to the table that would make data centers pay more for the energy they use and address environmental concerns, including their air pollution, water and energy use, and noise.
“I am confident that General Assembly leadership will get a bill on my desk that I can sign on time. Because there is no other option — those responsible for funding our government have an obligation to deliver.”
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