Budget Negotiators to Try Again to Clear Roadblocks

The Senate would provide the state's share of a 4 percent raise for all teachers, while the House would go for 3 percent and start the raise later.

The House would provide more funding for health care for retired teachers. Meanwhile, the Senate wants to refill the state's fund to help counties build schools and give more money to pre-kindergarten education. The House would instead spend more on vocational programs.

Each chamber would devote more than $200 million a year for Chesapeake Bay cleanup, an investment without precedent in Virginia history. Chuck Epes, communications coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Virginia, said with that kind of money, his group's lobbying efforts are over for the year. "This is a political issue that the House and Senate have to work out," he said.

There are differences in funding for universities. Close to half the total gap involves the state's community college system. Jesse Ferguson, executive director of the student advocacy group Virginia21, calls the figure "significant" -- roughly $200 for every community college student.

Still, across a more than $3.7 billion budget for colleges and universities, the two sides differ by only $57 million, according to a House Appropriations analysis.

"From my perspective and despite the rhetoric, these differences are hardly insurmountable and are very resolvable," Del. Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Newport News), a negotiator, said March 11 of the budget disagreements.

But some senators feel strongly that the House plan to borrow money when the state is running a $1.4 billion surplus is imprudent. They have been especially critical of the House proposal to take $40 million a year earmarked for schools and other programs and use it for transportation projects.

"We do not believe we should rob Peter to pay Paul," said Senate Majority Leader Walter A. Stosch (R-Henrico).

The House contends that now is the time to take advantage of the state's excellent credit rating by borrowing money to pay for needed projects.

"What's the point of having this triple-A bond rating if you can't even use it?" asked Del. Vincent F. Callahan (R-Fairfax), House Appropriations Committee chairman.

It's difficult to predict how the matter will be resolved. The narrower gulf on the issues besides transportation could make a settlement easier -- or it could cause the stalemate to drag on even longer, because fewer interest groups are waiting anxiously for the resolution.