Lacey Putney On Budget Stalemate

The current topic of conversation among the political class in Virginia is the ongoing budget stalemate between the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate/Gov. Kaine coalition. In a very good commentary Saturday in the Roanoke Times Del. Lacey Putney, an Independent from Bedford, outlines the major differences in the two plans. He concludes with this little known (at least to the Roanoke Times Editorial board it must be little known) fact;

It is a violation of the Constitution of Virginia to use a budget bill for the purpose of increasing taxes. In 2004, Gov. Warner's attempt to increase taxes through the budget was soundly rejected for this very reason.

Unlike the way they do business in Washington, we do not use a budget bill for the purpose of raising taxes. Gov. Kaine knows this, and every member of the House and Senate knows this -- or should know it.

I'll address that tax increase and how it figures into the current topic of conversation among the non-political class in a post later.