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VA Lawmakers Called Back into Special Session

Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA)
Official photo
Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is calling state lawmakers back to work next month to pass a state budget.

Northam, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that he's calling a special session on April 11. The move comes after lawmakers adjourned the regular 2018 session last week without passing a state spending plan.

The GOP-led General Assembly is split on whether to expand Medicaid to about 300,000 low-income Virginians. The House supports expansion while the Senate does not.

The disagreement on Medicaid and a related hospital tax is blocking lawmakers from passing a state budget for the next two years.

It's unclear if there will be an agreement by April 11.

State government will shut down on July 1 if no budget is passed.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.