RICHMOND – Governor Ralph Northam signed two bills Thursday that will fund the Commonwealth of Virginia’s government for the rest of Fiscal Year 2018 and all of Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020.
Photo: Ralph Northam
The budget will expand Medicaid, which will increase health care access for nearly 400,000 Virginians. It will also make significant investments in education, workforce training, mental health services and pay raises for teachers as well as state and state-supported local employees.
Gov. Northam signed the bills without amendment or veto. Virginia lawmakers approved Medicaid expansion on May 31.
“Today is a great day for Virginia,” he said. “The budget bills I am signing today will make life better for people in every corner of our great Commonwealth by investing in the fundamentals of a healthy economy like education, workforce development, public safety, and better pay for men and women who devote their lives to serving the public.”
The legislation includes more than $530 million in general funds for K-12 education and $131 million for a three-percent pay raise for state-supported teachers and support staff, which will be effective starting July 1, 2019.
