It has now been more than a week and Virginia still does not have a budget for 2014-16.
The House and Senate disagree on whether to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.
Governor Terry McAuliffe and Senate Democrats are refusing to pass any state budget which does not include this massive expansion. To get their way, they are holding up funding for everything else in the state budget, including sheriff's deputies, mental health reform, schools, roads, and state universities.
They are also impacting local governments, which cannot complete their budgets until they know what to expect from Richmond. Local governments are calling on Governor McAuliffe to stop using the budget as leverage, and to instead pass a consensus "clean" budget -- and to take up Medicaid expansion separately. You can see some of the resolutions here: Loudoun County, Virginia Beach, New Kent County.
Even proponents of expansion are telling McAuliffe to let the state have its budget.
You can help! Click here to sign the petition asking Governor McAuliffe to stop holding our budget hostage to force Obamacare Medicaid expansion.
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