Lawmakers are getting ready for a special session to determine how to spend more than four billion dollars of federal stimulus money.
But some lawmakers are worried they won't be able to offer much input.
House Republicans say Democrats in control of the General Assembly are shutting them out of the process, denying them the ability to have input into how more than four billion dollars of federal stimulus money will be spent. They say a select group of lawmakers is making decisions behind closed doors and expect everybody else to rubber stamp it.
Lynchburg-area Delegate Kathy Byron is chairwoman of the House Republican Caucus. "They're more focused on shoving through a Northam-Pelosi budget than having the legislature do its job, which is to set budget priorities. This simply isn't leadership," Byron said during a Tuesday call with reporters.
House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert said Republicans will probably be able to make floor amendments. But he adds that's not ideal because those proposals will be considered at the eleventh hour when all the decisions have already been made. "The deliberations about what's a good idea and what's not tend to happen in subcommittees and committees," Gilbert argued. "And you work through all those things and you can hash out the good, the bad and the ugly and get it worked out to the point where it's a viable product. Doing that on the floor is far less than ideal, but it seems like that's the only option they are allowing us at this point."
In a written statement, House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian says it would be impossible to thoroughly evaluate amendment submissions in a short timeframe, adding that his priority is expediency in getting relief funds where they’re needed.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
