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The Future of Medicaid
April 10, 2017Blog PostMedicaid is a federal-state partnership that covers health care for poorer children, the blind, aged and disabled. It has grown because fewer employers provide coverage, increased assistance for the severely disabled, and aging baby boomers--Medicaid covers two-thirds of our nursing home population. In Virginia, Medicaid is a 50-50 match and, at 22 percent, is the second largest spending category in the State budget after K-12 education. Despite this growth, Virginia is ranked 47th in the nation in Medicaid spending.
Read moreDelegate Mark Sickles Files for Re-Election
March 31, 2017Press ReleaseALEXANDRIA, VA. – Yesterday, Delegate Mark Sickles (D-43) completed filing for re-election for the Virginia House of Delegates’ 43rd District seat. Delegate Sickles has served in the House of Delegates for more than 13 years and is seeking his 8th term in office.
Read moreYour guide to riding the Blue Line during SafeTrack's 12th surge
February 12, 2017News ClipFebruary 11, 2017 1:20 PM EST - The 12th surge in Metro’s long-term maintenance overhaul known as SafeTrack runs Feb. 11-Feb.28 on the Blue Line. Take a look at how it will affect your commute. (Claritza Jimenez, Danielle Kunitz / The Washington Post)
Read more2/9/17 - Daily Update
February 10, 2017Blog PostToday the House of Delegates easily passed amendments to the two-year budget, closing a billion dollar hole caused by slower revenue growth than predicted. The House scraped together some fund balances, eliminated a few Governor McAuliffe initiatives, and borrowed well over $500 million from the rainy day fund. Under Virginia law, the General Assembly can borrow from the fund when certain assumed revenue measures are not realized. The Code section is complicated but there are strict rules about when the money has to be paid back.
Read more2/8/17 - Daily Update
February 9, 2017Blog PostYesterday’s session was relatively short. The day after Crossover tends to be slow because the House committees are just starting to hear the Senate-passed bills. The only real business before the body was the confirmation of gubernatorial appointments. We also put the budget amendments in proper form for debate tomorrow.
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