Budget deal reached

It took awhile, but House and Senate budget negotiators appeared to reach a tentative deal on the remaining unresolved budget issues as the clock ticked towards 1 a.m. this morning.

"It went north," quipped Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax.

Earlier in the evening when it seemed an imminent compromise was splintering, Saslaw told reporters that negotiations were "rapidly heading south."

(Here's our story from around 11 p.m. Saturday when the sides remained split).

The outstanding areas that were settled early Sunday involve funding related to public safety, higher education and the state's pension plan.

In higher education, the budget conferees agreed to find a $10 million reduction in that portion of the budget.

They also brokered a deal on providing funding to local law enforcement operations, and agreed in principle to work towards repaying an unfunded future liability in the state pension plan.

It was unclear early Sunday morning if the General Assembly would be able to finish its work before the end of the day because of the late hour when a deal was reached and the time it takes to prepare and print the budget. And daylight savings time robs an hour from an already truncated timetable.

"It's my nineteenth one of these and I've never finished one in the daylight," Prince William County Democratic Sen. Chuck Colgan said as handshakes and pats on the back were exchanged as the bargaining ended. 

Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said his House of Delegates colleagues are eager to vote on the budget Sunday and conclude the legislative session.

The General Assembly originally was scheduled to adjourn the two-month session Saturday.

-- Julian Walker

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