Members of the General Assembly are returning to the Capitol Friday to consider a budget question about benefits to veterans and their families. Michael Pope has the latest.
The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program is at the center of an ongoing debate in the General Assembly. And the House of Delegates is taking a different approach about how to balance the books on the program. Back in May, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen said this on the House floor.
"To those families who were able to join us today and those who were not, you have our commitment that we will work with you this legislative session to find a path forward to honor your family's service and sacrifice," the delegate said.
But Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell says the House approach of a blanket repeal of changes to the program won't work. He says a more surgical approach is needed to make sure the program remains viable.
"It's been a very popular program," Surovell says. "In fact, it's been too popular, and it's caused a lot of unintended consequences. It's grown to 400% of what the cost is projected to be just three years ago, and leaving it open another year or two would cause it to exponentially grow and make it even harder to address."
And it seems unlikely that this dispute between Senate Democrats and House Democrats will let up anytime soon. If the House moves forward with its expected course of action, the Senate is poised to reject that idea and propose its plan again – setting this debate back to square one.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
