Bolling: Gingrich and Santorum should drop out

Shortly after Virginia was called for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling called for his opponents to drop out of the race. Bolling is the chairman of Romney's campaign in Virginia.

"The objective for Republicans is to win in November and to have the best chance of winning in November it’s time for us to rally behind a nominee," Bolling said. He said the longer the nomination battle is drawn out the more it hurts the GOP's chances in the fall.

Bolling said it would be a tough fight for Republicans in the commonwealth in the general election.

"This president is not going to be easy to beat here in Virgina," Bolling said. "He’s not going to be easy to beat anywhere in the country. He has some core constituencies that will turn out in large numbers."

AP: Half of all Va. voters "strongly behind" their candidate

This just in from Associated Press: Half of GOP voters strongly supported the candidate they voted for, despite just two of four candidates in the race being on the Virginia ballot, according to exit polling.

Fifty percent of responders in the exit poll listed picking a candidate that could defeat President Barack Obama as their top priority, AP reported.

 

Counties urge Senators to get a budget done

The Virginia Association of Counties is asking Senators  locked in a stalemate over the state budget to "compromise" and get the job done.

"We are here today to deliver a message to the Senate of Virginia," said VACO executive director James Campbell Tuesday at a press conference. "Republicans, Democrats, Independents, all - the Senate of Virginia, do your job. A principle duty of the General Assembly is to abopt a state budget to appropriate the funds the state is going to spend over the next two years. Failure to do so leaves local governments in a lurch. Without the knowledge of state revenues we cannot adopt local budgets; we can award our teacher contracts for the next year; and things at the local level become very disorganized."

Localities began their budget planning process in March in order to complete their budgets in May. Without a spending plan from state lawmakers, localities do not know how much money they will be receiving from state coffers.

Campbell said this is a particular problem when it comes to teacher contracts which must be finalized May 1.

"We need that budget," Campbell said. "We have a statutory obligation to have our teacher contracts out by May 1. If we don't know how much money we are getting it's very, very difficult to do that."

With four days left in the 2012 General Assembly session Campbell said it's time for Senators to sit down and talk to get a spending plan in place.

"On behalf of the 95 counties here in Virginia, the 8 million people of Virginia, we are urging, urging the Senate to talk to each other, talk with each other," Campbell said. "We're urging them to compromise and adopt a budget. We're urging them to do their job."

House Speaker William Howell on defeat of House budget in Senate

Following the defeat of the House of Delegates version of the state budget Wednesday by Senate Democrats, House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, issued the following statement:

"I was disappointed to hear that Senate Democrats killed the House budget this afternoon. Chairman Putney and the entire House Appropriations Committee worked untold hours, with Republicans and Democrats, to produce a fiscally sound budget that also provides the services important to Virginians. Since the Senate Democrats voted to kill their own budget last week, the General Assembly no longer has a budget to act on.

"For me and my colleagues in the House of Delegates, it is frustrating to see our hard work rejected in the Senate. Even more distressing is the reality that Senate Democrats did not reject the Senate and House budgets based on policy. Rather, Senate Democrats are making a political power play over committee assignments.

 

"Such maneuvering is not befitting of the General Assembly. House and Senate conferees should be starting work tomorrow finalizing the financial blueprint that will guide the Commonwealth through the end of FY 2014. I join my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate in urging the Senate Democrat Caucus to work together towards a budget solution."

Gov. McDonnell statement on Senate Dems killing budget

Following the defeat of the state budget plan Wednesday by Senate Democrats, Gov. Bob McDonnell issued a statement asking Democrats to stop playing politics and come to the negotiating table.

Following is McDonnell's complete statement:

“Today, in a straight party line vote, Senate Democrats, attempting to send a partisan message, have rejected the House budget. The House budget passed its chamber with broad bipartisan support (79-21) and garnered unanimous approval from the bipartisan membership of the House Appropriations Committee. Today, that budget was voted down not on policy, but on politics. It was voted down without any debate or amendments. Senate Democrats took the same approach on their own chamber’s budget last week, voting it down in a strict party line action as well. Based on their two votes, Senate Democrats have now left the Commonwealth with no budget, acting much like Senate Democrats in Washington D.C. where there has been no budget for more than 1,000 days. They have put their committee seats ahead of our communities needs. This is unprecedented, and it is unacceptable. It is not the Virginia way.

"For seven weeks I have repeatedly asked Senate Democrats publicly and privately for their input and ideas on the biennial budget. I have held numerous meetings with them. The response has been near silence. Instead, Senate Democrats have repeatedly made clear that their objections to the budget are not based on policy, but politics. They want more seats on committees and more power. They appear willing to jeopardize the timely payment of the salaries of our teachers and police officers, the services our senior citizens depend upon, the resources our universities need to operate, the budgets of local governments, the funding for our prisons and hospitals, and the entire state budget to gain more power. They have put political goals of 20 individuals ahead of the collective policy needs of 8 million Virginians.

"There is a time and a place for politics, but the elections are now over. When we gather in session on Capitol Square, Virginians expect us to put politics aside and do what is right for the Commonwealth as a whole. Today, Senate Democrats owe an explanation to all Virginians as to why they are willing to risk an entire budget because of their own partisan desires. I hope Virginians will contact their Senators who have acted in this unprecedented nature and let them know: it is time for the politics to stop. It is time to get a budget done. The session is set to end in 10 days. We need responsible action now. I call upon my friends in the Senate Democratic Caucus to immediately produce a budget they will support.”