Virginia
West Virginia Legislature ends session with pay raises, tax cut and failure of social issue bills
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s Republican-dominated state Legislature on Saturday concluded a 60-day session marked by budget disputes and controversial social issue bills that advanced but ultimately didn’t go anywhere.
Lawmakers conferenced behind closed doors Saturday to reach an agreement on a budget just under $5 billion, bills that would cut unemployment benefits, a Social Security tax cut and a 5% raise for teachers and other state workers, among other legislation. Those proposals now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is expected to sign them.
The Social Security cut and pay raises were passed after the budget process was thrown into chaos this week when lawmakers learned Justice’s office was in negotiations with the federal government over a potential $465 million COVID-19 funding clawback.
Lawmakers debated several iterations of the budget before coming to a final decision, leaving out a number of priority items including a tax credit to make child care more affordable for families and money for a new agriculture lab at West Virginia State University.
Lawmakers intend to meet for a special session to review those items in May, when the situation with the U.S. Department of Education is clearer, the legislative leadership said.
Lawmakers additionally passed bills Saturday to allow the sale of raw milk with a warning label about the increased risk of foodborne illness and allow virtual public school students and private school students to opt out of mandatory vaccines.
Another successful bill would give public school teachers the option to teach intelligent design, the theory holding that certain features of life forms are so complex they can best be explained by an origin from an intelligent higher power, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Intelligent design is overwhelmingly regarded as a religious belief by the scientific community and not a scientific theory.
Social issues dominated most of the conversation during the session, but many did not cross the finish line.
As the clock approached a midnight Sunday deadline to pass bills, Democratic Del. Mike Pushkin dragged out discussion on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have been placed on the ballot to prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in West Virginia elections, which is already illegal.
“I just don’t think it’s necessary to change the constitution that’s already in state code, something that isn’t taking place. It’s hard enough to get our citizens to vote,” Pushkin said, checking his watch.
“I would encourage all citizens to vote. Think of who you’re voting for when you cast that ballot,” said Pushkin, one of 11 Democrats in the 100-member House, just as time ran out.
Earlier in the session, the House of Delegates passed a bill to make schools, public libraries and museums criminally liable for distributing or displaying “obscene” materials to children. The Senate never took up that bill or failed bills passed by the House that would have restricted healthcare for transgender adolescents and allow teachers and other school staff with certain training to carry guns on school campuses.
The Senate passed a bill that would have made a video on fetal development produced by an anti-abortion group required viewing in public schools, but the measure failed to advance in the House.
Time also ran out Satruday for House lawmakers to vote on final passage of a “Women’s Bill of Rights,” which was almost sure to pass. Democrats labeled the proposal a dystopian bill that would give women no additional rights while enabling the GOP to suppress transgender people.
The legislation said “equal” does not mean “same” or “identical” with respect to equality of the sexes. The proposed wording in state statutes and official public policies would define a person’s sex as determined at birth without allowing substitutions of gender equity terms. The bill also would establish that certain single-sex environments, such as athletics, locker rooms and bathrooms, are not discriminatory.
The bill was championed by Republican women in the Legislature, including Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, who said “radical feminists” have “sought a world in which men and women are treated exactly the same in every single circumstance, regardless of physical differences.”
“The Women’s Bill of Rights aims to halt this radical agenda,” she said, speaking on the floor in support of the legislation.
The unemployment bill, which was rushed through the legislative process in the final days of session after hours of debate, left some lawmakers confused, even those who chose to support it.
The bill would increase work search requirements for unemployed people receiving benefits and freeze the rates those individuals are paid at the current maximum of $622 a week, instead of a system adjusting with inflation. People also would be able to work part-time while receiving unemployment and searching for full-time work. Current average benefits are around $420 a week.
The bill was a compromise from an earlier version of the legislation that would have reduced the number of allowable weeks for unemployment benefits from 26 to 24 and started benefits at 70% of the recipient’s average weekly wage before losing work and reducing benefits over the amount of time the person is out of work without getting a new job.
Supporters say they were concerned about the long-term solvency of the state’s unemployment fund. But Del. Democratic Del. Shawn Fluharty said the bill sends a bad message.
“Here we are just year in and year out finding ways to chip away at who actually built this state: the blue collar worker,” Fluharty said.
The Social Security tax cut bill follows a law signed in 2019 that cut income tax on Social Security benefits over three years for the state’s lowest earners, defined as those making less than $100,000 filing jointly and $50,000 for a single person.
The proposal approved by the Legislature Saturday would eliminate the tax for everyone else, also over a three-year period. The tax would be cut by 35% this year, retroactive to Jan. 1, and 65% in 2025. The tax would be phased out completely by 2026.
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia Union University (VUU) hosted a Juneteenth celebration with a free outdoor concert to uplift and bring the community together Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday, June 20 from 12 to 3 p.m., VUU’s Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music hosted its Juneteenth Concert: Honoring Freedom, Celebrating Faith, Inspiring Unity on the campus’s Barco-Stevens Lawn.
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(Photo: Eric Philips/8News) -
(Photo: Eric Philips/8News) -
(Photo: Eric Philips/8News)
“This free outdoor concert is designed to uplift, reflect, and bring our community together in the spirit of liberation and joy,” a statement posted.
The free outdoor concert’s headliner was Pastor Shirley Caesar, who has helped define gospel music and inspire generations over her 70-year career. The lineup also included Patrick Riddick & D’Vyne Worship, Kenneth Taylor & FWC Experience and the Virginia Union University Gospel Choir.
Additionally, leadership from VUU and the Hezekiah Walker Center for Gospel Music spoke at the event.
Virginia has a budget deal.
It’s late in the sense that the expectation had been the General Assembly would work this out before it adjourned back in March. However, it comes 12 days before the state starts a new budget year, so lawmakers will apparently not be taking things to the brink. The legislature reconvenes Monday to take up the spending plan that House and Senate negotiators released Friday night.
The exact details (which will be voluminous) haven’t been posted on the General Assembly’s website yet. We do, however, have a 68-page summary that outlines what’s in the deal. The headliner: a compromise on data center taxation that keeps the controversial tax incentives in place but creates a new tax on the electricity they use.
The other highlights — as seen from the standpoint of Southwest and Southside — include funding to start construction of an inland port in Washington County and expand the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, as well as language authorizing a formal partnership between George Mason University and Averett University. One surprise: $100,000 to fund a statue in Roanoke of the late judge and lawmaker Onzlee Ware.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger and legislative leaders had earlier reached an agreement on how to legalize retail sales of cannabis. That’s now included in the budget deal, with sales starting July 1, 2027. See the earlier story by Cardinal’s Richmond-based reporter Elizabeth Beyer for details.
Here’s an overview of what we know — with the caveat that more details will be forthcoming when the actual budget language is available.
1. Data center taxation compromise
The main reason that the budget took so long is that Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, spent weeks insisting that the state should eliminate its tax breaks for data centers eight years early. That brought pushback from both the governor and House leaders, who worried that would send a signal to other business sectors that the state can’t be trusted.
This deal keeps the tax breaks for data centers intact (they’re set to expire in 2035). Instead, it creates a tax on the electricity that data centers consume. When that was floated earlier in the week, business groups pushed back against it. The version in the budget deal calls for the revenue collected through that tax to be capped at $600 million a year — and says that any monies collected over that be refunded on a pro-rated basis at the end of the fiscal year. It was unclear what the reaction to this will be, but collecting $600 million a year seems a significant climb-down compared to those who wanted to do away with the tax exemption that forgoes $1.9 billion per year in exchange for $9.1 billion in gross domestic product from data centers.
The summary also says there will be at least four items in the budget that will set in motion new regulations. Among them are references to “data center noise regulation language” and “data center cooling water scarcity regulations.”
2. Inland port in Washington County
An “inland port” does not involve water or ships. Instead, it’s the industry term for a freight hub that collects cargo headed to or from a water port. Virginia already has an inland port near Front Royal that facilitates rail shipments to and from Hampton Roads; it’s also spurred thousands of warehouse and trucking jobs in the northern Shenandoah Valley.
Legislators in Southwest Virginia — led by state Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington County — have been pushing for several years to create a similar inland port in Southwest Virginia, specifically at the Oak Park Center for Business and Industry in Washington County.
This deal includes $20 million to get construction started. (Pillion is one of the budget negotiators so was in a position to make sure this money was included in the budget.)
3. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and other healthcare workforce funding
The school in Roanoke is slated to get $13 million for expansion as part of a larger $74.4 million plan to expand the healthcare workforce.
Nursing programs at James Madison University, Radford University and the University of Mary Washington will get a total of $7.6 million.
The budget deal also includes $6 million for the Virginia Tech Patient Research Center and $500,000 for workforce development programs in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands in healthcare and biomedical sciences fields.
4. Interstate 81
The budget directs the secretary of transportation to “evaluate options to Accelerate I-81 Projects; including tolling options as long as there are 2 toll-free lanes in each direction.” That seems to foreshadow a third lane that might have tolls. Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County and a budget negotiator, said Secretary of Transportation Nick Donahue wanted that provision.
5. Virginia Coalfields Expressway
The slow-moving road project that’s slated to run through Buchanan County and Dickenson County gets $7 million for improvements to U.S. 460 in Buchanan County.
6. New College Institute
The budget changes the name of the Martinsville-based center from the New College Institute to the West Piedmont Higher Education Center and includes funding in the second year of the two-year budget. When then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin introduced his budget back in December, he had zeroed out that second-year funding.
7. George Mason University/Averett University
Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun County, has pushed for a formal partnership between the public school in Northern Virginia and the private school in Danville as a way to expand GMU’s reach. The budget deal includes the language to make that happen. It’s unclear what that will mean in practice, but the budget language authorizes George Mason to work with Averett on both undergraduate and graduate programs as well as other workforce-related issues. There’s no money attached, but the language lists multiple groups that would be allowed to help fund this work, including the GO Virginia economic development program, the Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Danville Regional Foundation and other nonprofits.
“I’m pleased GMU will now have official authorization to move forward in what is probably the most dynamic economic area of the Commonwealth,” Reid said in a text message.
8. Onzlee Ware statue in Roanoke
An unexpected item was $100,000 for a “Roanoke commemoration.” Legislators said this was for a statue to the late Onzlee Ware, the first Black state legislator west of the Blue Ridge and later a judge.
House Appropriations Chair Luke Torian, D-Prince William County, was cited as the proponent of this measure. “Onzlee was a bit of a mentor to Torian,” said Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
9. Local referendums on sales tax increases for schools
At present, nine localities are authorized to hold referendums to increase the local sales tax, with the proceeds going to schools. There’s been a push to expand that power statewide. In this year’s General Assembly session, bills related to these local referendums were set aside with the expectation that they’d simply be written into the budget. Now they are, with the sales tax increase capped at 1%.
10. State funding formula
A panel will be appointed to study whether and how to change the state’s school funding formula; $1.3 million is set aside for this.
11. New or renovated college buildings
There’s money (unclear how much) to renovate Derring Hall at Virginia Tech and Darden Hall at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
12. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
The Center for Advanced Manufacturing at the Danville institute is slated to get money for expansion, although it was unclear how much.
13. Housing
The lack of housing — and the high cost of what is available — has been the subject of legislative attention. Among the initiatives: This budget deal authorizes a state loan for Newport News to develop housing around the shipyard as well as other housing construction initiatives in Fairfax County and Prince William County.
14. Richmond Coliseum
The budget deal includes $15 million to help Richmond demolish the Richmond Coliseum, which has been deemed to be obsolete.
15. Tourism
Included in tourism funding is $100,000 for the annual Blue Highway Fest in Wise County. We’ve previously written about that award-winning music festival. Another tourism-related funding item is $305,000 for Breaks Interstate Park, the Virginia side of which is in Dickenson County.
You can read the full summary below. We’ll take a deeper look at the budget deal once we can see the actual language.
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Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 19, 2026, results for each game:
Mega Millions
Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
13-16-21-26-50, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 1-0-5, FB: 2
Day: 0-3-3, FB: 3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 6-7-5-6, FB: 0
Day: 7-9-2-7, FB: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 2-6-7-3-1, FB: 8
Day: 9-5-2-5-7, FB: 6
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash Pop
Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.
Coffee Break: 05
After Hours: 08
Prime Time: 05
Rush Hour: 02
Lunch Break: 04
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash 5
Drawing every day at 11 p.m.
34-36-42-44-45
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawing everyday at 11:15 p.m.
02-20-28-51-54, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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