GOP Says Shortfall In Budget Is Likely

Democrats condemned Hogan's remarks, accusing him of needless partisanship.

House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry) said, "Why release revenue estimates when we are not sure what the data is?"

Delacey Skinner, Kaine's communications director, said: "This is a process we are going to work with the General Assembly on, just like we have been working with the General Assembly on, and it is not going to help us make good decisions if folks are more focused on throwing barbs than having a real discussion on looking at what we may be looking to cut."

When Kaine presented his two-year budget plan last month, he said the increase in state revenue would about double, to 6.6 percent from 3.2 percent, by fiscal 2010.

Kaine had hoped to use that increase to give teachers and state employees a pay raise in fiscal 2010 and increase funding on education, health care and environmental initiatives.

House Republicans, who earlier objected to taking money from the rainy day fund, could now be persuaded to use it to help close any shortfall, Hamilton said. But House and Senate Republican leaders need updated numbers from Kaine soon so they can complete work on a version of the budget in three weeks.

"We cannot operate in the dark," House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said. "We say to the governor, 'Turn on the light, no matter how bad it is.' "

Democrats, who accused the Republicans of playing politics with the budget, said it is customary for governors to wait until early February to revise revenue forecasts.

"We are going to do the budget the best we can, but it's not because the governor is not doing his job," Del. James M. Scott (D-Fairfax) said.