by Sen. DORSEY RIDLEY
Approving the state budget has been called one of the toughest, most important duties of the General Assembly. The 250-page document leaves the governor’s office as a proposal in January. Getting an agreed-upon, finalized version back to his desk in the spring is truly a monumental task. Needs are coupled with resources. Appropriations are matched with priorities. Debt is balanced by revenues. And a consensus between 138 lawmakers is found.
We completed the job on Monday when months of dedicated study, advocacy, review, discussion, negotiation and plain hard work culminated in the final passage of a $20.3 billion two-year budget plan for the Commonwealth.
