As well as strong
And use my head alongside my heart
...
And I'll kneel down
Wait for now
I'll kneel down
Know my ground
....
'Cause I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
~ Mumford & Sons, "I Will Wait"
Thanks to you, hundreds of thousands of Virginians who work just enough to stay out of poverty, but don't earn enough to be able to afford health insurance, will be able to get healthcare through expanded Medicaid coverage next year.
After 6 years of failed attempts, and now 3 months after the House of Delegates did it, the Senate of Virginia finally passed a state budget with Medicaid expansion! I was pleased to once again vote YES on the Senate version, which will now go to Governor Northam for amendments, line item vetoes, and ultimately his signature.
Elections matter. And when we vote, we win AND we can make landmark policy changes that make Virginia better for everyone.
Of course, Medicaid expansion is not the only thing the 2018-2020 Biennial Budget accomplishes. With the draw down of federal money from expansion coupled with the higher than projected state revenues, we were able to fund quite a few good things.
Budget Highlights
Healthcare
Medicaid Expansion | Extends coverage to nearly 400,00 Virginians with incomes up to 138% above the federal poverty level pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) | Effective January 2019
I/DD Waiver Slots | Adds 1,319 waivers slots and 50 reserve slots to further reduce the waiting list, which is about 6,500 children and adults
Mental Health | $191.7 million to address capacity issues through discharge planning, assisted living slots and community support teams, including $84.1 million for community mental health services
LARC Pilot Program | $6 million for the Virginia Department of Health to expand access to long acting reversible contraception (LARCs) for low-income populations
Education
Teacher Raises | 3% raise for school positions | Effective July 2019
Tuition Assistance Grants | Increases TAG funding to $3,350
Direct Aid to Public Education | Increased by $166.3 million from the General Fund and the Lottery above the original introduced budget
Per Pupil Funding | Includes $4.6 to increase the per pupil amount to $6,326, an increase of $201 per student
Student Loan Ombudsman | Includes funding to establish the Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman, which will assist borrowers with understanding their rights and responsibilities regarding their loans as well as resolve complaints involving loan servicers
Transportation & Public Safety
Law Enforcement Raises | Targeted salary increase for some law enforcement and deputy sheriffs | Effective January 2019
I-66 Reverse Commuter Tolling | This Republican amendment was not included in the budget and will not go into effect.
Government
State Employee Raises | 2% raise for state employees and 2% additional merit salary adjustment for state employees with 3+ years of service | Effective July 2019
Judicial Branch
Judicial Vacancies | Includes funding to fill all current vacancies across the state
Special Dockets | Dedicated funding to expand existing or establish new mental health dockets and to increase the number of drug courts
You can view the full compromise budget here.