Budget Impasse in the General Assembly
State government almost shut down in 2004 and again in 2006 – but crisis was averted and consensus was reached before the drop-dead date of July 1. We may not be so lucky this year. The last week of the 2012 Session is upon us, and the Senate has no budget to put into conference with a House budget. Senate Democrats, who are still smarting over the fact that the evenly divided Senate did not result in power sharing, refused to spend even one vote on the budget presented to them by their Senate Finance Committee. They then voted down the House budget, and we are at an impasse. The Dems say they will reconsider the budget proposal if Senate Republicans accept some power-sharing terms, i.e., acknowledgment of the 20-20 even split in the Senate; and the Republicans do not seem to be in the mood to consider their proposals.
So … the impasse continues – without a budget to debate and sign off before the session end that is scheduled for March 9. Since most bills have been decided, there will be no need for legislators to sit around all next week just waiting for someone to blink; and the word is that they will go home early. Sans budget. Stay tuned.
Bet Neale
ELIZABETH HARRELL (“Bet”) NEALE
CAREER HISTORY: Twenty-five years of legislative experience in the Virginia political arena.
Bet began her career in the political arena as a Legislative Research Associate at the Division of Legislative Services, having first been mentored by her father Delegate Lyman Harrell, who served 12 years as a member of the House of Delegates. After moving with her family to West Point, where her husband Mark practices dentistry and where they raised their three children Nancy, Cheryl and Mark, Bet remained active in state legislative work as a consultant for a state commission and as a legislative assistant to Delegate Mary Marshall and Delegate Dorothy McDiarmid, Chair of the House Education and House Appropriations Committees. Beginning in 1990, Bet represented VASS as their lead lobbyist for 8 years, after which she served as executive director of the Henrico Education Foundation for HCPS.
Bet came on board with VASSP in 2000 as Director of Government Relations and lobbies on behalf of Association members during all General Assembly sessions and at meetings of legislative education committees and subcommittees. In her capacity as Director of Government Relations/Lead Lobbyist for VASSP, Bet also represents middle and high school principals and assistant principals at statewide education meetings, seminars and special commissions as well as at meetings of the State Board of Education.
Bet is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a BA in English and a Collegiate Certificate in Secondary Education. She has been a guest lecturer at the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia as well as a presenter at various state meetings and seminars.
