For Details of the Association position on Budget see: dateline 1/25/17
The Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees completed their respective budgets yesterday. The highlights are as follows:
CDP
The Senate version (SB900) maintains full funding for Career Development Programs that was proposed in the Governor’s introduced budget bill. The House version (HB1500) removes all funding from the budget bill for CDP and redirected that funding to support a proposed 2% across-the-board salary increase for all constitutional officers and their employees in FY18. Reconciliation of these differences will be a matter for consideration by the Conference committee.
Salaries
Both the SFC and HAC amendments provide for a 2% salary increase for all constitutional officers and regional jail superintendents and their Compensation Board funded employees, effective August 1, 2017, in lieu of the proposed 1.5% bonus included in the introduced budget. Both the SFC and HAC proposed a 3% salary increase for state employees. While all the specific details have not been published, it does not appear that these increases are contingent upon revenues.
Copies of the budget amendments will be available tomorrow (Feb. 7th) at noon, which is also crossover. Both houses will vote on their respective budgets on Thurs., (Feb. 9th). On Wed., (Feb. 15th) both house will then vote on, and likely reject, the others budget. A Committee of Conference will be appointed to work out the differences. The deadline for their work is Tues., Feb. 21st. The Conference Report will be available on Thurs. (Feb. 23rd). A final vote on the Budget Conference Report will take place on Sat., Feb. 25th, the 2017 GA session will then adjourn, Sine Die.
Please contact your legislator immediately and ask them to support the Senate version of the budget. Cleary, the Senate version maintains full funding for CDP and grants us a 2% salary increase. If your legislator is one of the likely budget conferees, it is imperative that you make your feelings known to them now on these critical issues:
The likely House and Senate Conferees are:
House Budget Conferees (likely)
- S. Chris Jones (R-Suffolk)
- R. Steven “Steve” Landes (R-Augusta)
- M. Kirkland “Kirk” Cox (R-Colonial Heights)
- John M. O’Bannon, III (R-Henrico)
- Thomas A. “Tag” Greason (R-Loudoun)
- Luke E. Torian (D-Prince William)
Senate Budget Conferees (likely)
- Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R-District 3)
- Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R-District 24)
- Janet D. Howell (D-District 32)
- Richard L. Saslaw (D-District 35)
- Stephen D. Newman (R-District 23)
- Frank M. Ruff, Jr. (R-District 15)
- Frank W. Wagner (R-District 7)
President Lori, Ross Mugler, Madeline Abbitt, Charlie Crowson, and I, will be meeting with the above individuals later this week along with our other constitutional officer colleagues. It is much easier for us to engage these individuals if they have heard from you first.
One final thing, last week largely because of your efforts, HB2104, a very bad bill for localities, was referred to the Appropriations Committee where it will likely remain (i.e. it is dead). This was no small accomplishment. We went up against a very powerful lobby in the Virginia Manufacturers Association, and won! Please be sure to thank your legislator for standing with you and your locality on this important issue. Also, give yourselves a pat on the back.