RICHMOND, Va. — With 14 days until a potential state government shutdown, the Virginia House of Delegates will not return to Richmond this Thursday to vote on a state budget.
The Clerk of the House confirmed to CBS 6 that Speaker Don Scott asked him to cancel Thursday's planned meeting. Scott did not say when the new session date will be, only that he would give 48 hours notice.
On Tuesday, Scott issued the following statement:
"No budget agreement has been reached yet, so there is no reason for members to show up Thursday. The House is firmly committed to passing a full, balanced budget, and we will not return until we have one ready to vote on.
Our rules require 48-hour notice before reconvening. As soon as we reach an agreement with the Senate, I will notify members and we will return and pass a budget."
Watch related coverage: Gov. Spanberger addresses House budget proposal as deadline nears
The House and Senate have been unable to reach an agreement on the state budget, with the main issue being tax policies surrounding data centers.
The House unveiled its latest proposal Friday with the support of Governor Abigail Spanberger, while the Senate released its proposal on Tuesday. Budget conferees were meeting to reach a consensus.
"What the House has put forward is a proposed conference report. Notably, it has bipartisan support within the House Appropriations Committee," Spanberger told News 3.
Watch related coverage: Virginia senators rally to end data center tax exemption ahead of June 30 budget deadline
The data center sales and use tax exemption remains one of the biggest issues stalling budget talks.
The exemption is set to expire in 2035, but the Senate wanted to eliminate it next year, saying it costs the state nearly $2 billion in revenue each year, well beyond what was expected when it was extended in 2016.
House leadership and Spanberger have said data centers need to pay their fair share, but that eliminating the exemption early would hurt Virginia's business reputation. The House's budget proposal creates a commission to examine all impacts of the industry and make recommendations by November.
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