General Assembly update

MOVING ON:

Another day, another dollar

State government's most powerful budget writers have given themselves an extra week to resolve wide differences in House and Senate versions of the budget. Six senators and six delegates huddled privately last week for the first time, starting several days before predetermined procedural steps put the rival spending blueprints officially before them. The House budget cuts state borrowing by about $117 million while the Senate takes on more than $630 million in debt, according to a summary prepared by the Appropriations Committee. But that ignores Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's plan to provide nearly $4 billion over to transportation projects over the next three years, with $3 billion of it borrowed.

Major differences include Senate opposition to millions of dollars in House cuts to public schools, the House's determination to end a budget-balancing gimmick in which merchants accelerate their sale tax payments, differences in the public employee retirement system's finances, and how much cash to set aside in reserve.

The Senate, intent on restoring cuts made during more dire times last year, provides slightly more than $100 million each in basic aid to schools and to reimburse people who provide medical services to Medicaid recipients.

The House version of the budget slightly more than doubles the Senate's $8.5 million outlay for Medicaid waivers that allow the developmentally disabled to receive home or community treatment instead of confinement in institutions. But neither plan satisfies deficiencies in Virginia's program highlighted in a scathing federal report last week.

Autism Insurance

The House finished work Thursday on a Senate version of a bill that prescribes coverage for children 2 to 6 years old with autism spectrum disorder. The measure applies to employer group insurance plans at companies of greater than 50 workers. It limits benefits to $35,000 a year for applied behavior analysis, a promising regimen for treating autistic children. Parents of children with autism and their advocates had lobbied the General Assembly for 11 years for the coverage mandate.

ER Assault

Those who assault emergency room workers would spend at least two days in jail under a bill that is headed to Gov. McDonnell. The Senate gave final passage to Del. Christopher Stolle's bill on a 33-7 vote Friday. It passed the House earlier on a 92-7 vote. Stolle's bill would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to assault any emergency health care provider. The punishment is more strict than for a regular assault.

MIXED RESULTS:

Illegal immigration crackdowns

All but the two least controversial anti-illegal immigration bills failed Wednesday in the Senate Immigration subcommittee. As in past years, bills to ban illegal immigrants from entering Virginia's colleges and universities or receiving public aid and to crack down on those who commit crimes met swift defeat.

However, the panel approved bills to revoke the driver's licenses of those who are deported and require state contractors to check workers' residency status through the free federal e-Verify system.

FAILED:

Pro-life protections

The Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday killed bills to regulate abortion clinics and prohibit health insurance plans established through the federal health care legislation from covering abortions. Another bill would have set up a framework for parents to sue someone who caused the death of their unborn child.

Since 2004, someone who caused such a death could be charged criminally. Del. Robert Marshall said his bill would not affect the ability to get an abortion or contraceptives. Opponents argued it would lay the foundation to ban abortions and could lead to women being indicted after having miscarriages.

Texting and driving

Virginia police won't be able to pull over texters for another year. The House Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee killed bills Thursday that would have allowed police to pull over and ticket motorists for texting while driving. Right now, texting behind the wheel is a secondary offense, meaning that police can only issue texting fines if a motorist is pulled over for another traffic violation. The committee also killed Sen. Thomas Norment's bill that would have banned talking on cell phones while driving and another measure that would have targeted young drivers with provisional licenses who talk on cell phones.

Anti-discrimination in state hiring

The House General Laws subcommittee voted to kill Sen. Donald McEachin's bill Tuesday that would eliminate discrimination based on "actual or perceived sexual orientation" and another one that would have allowed the State Department of Human Resources to examine extending health benefits to same-sex partners.

Tax breaks for tuition donations

Companies won't receive tax breaks for donating to nonprofit organizations that pay for needy students' private-school tuition. The Senate Finance Committee voted 9-6 along party lines Tuesday to defeat Republican Del. Jimmie Massie's bill, one of Gov. Bob McDonnell's key education-reform measures that would have provided up to $25 million in tax breaks. The tax credits would be awarded to corporations who donate cash to nonprofits that provide tuition assistance for kindergarten and first-grade students who qualify for free- or reduced-cost lunch programs.

Repeal of HPV vaccine mandate

Virginia remains the only state to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against a virus that can cause cervical cancer. The Senate Education and Health Committee voted 12-3 Thursday to reject Del. Kathy Byron's bill to eliminate the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccination requirement for young girls.

The virus spreads through sexual contact, and federal officials have suggested that girls be vaccinated before they become sexually active. While other states require education about the vaccine or funding for it, Virginia is the only state to require it. Still, the state allows parents to opt out for any reason. State health officials say less than one in five incoming sixth-grade girls received the vaccine last fall.

Want to be alerted when we post new stories? Find us and "like" us today on Facebook.