All 14 of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s budget amendments won General Assembly approval, allowing Virginia’s state budget to take effect Wednesday as scheduled.
$680,000 for November voter referendums on constitutional amendments covering reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and voting rights for ex-felons passed 57-33 despite Republican opposition.
$1.2 billion in biennial data-center revenue helped shape the budget debate, with Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell saying the money supported larger pay raises for teachers and state employees.
The vote highlighted Virginia’s broader fight over how to tax and regulate data centers, an issue that remains unsettled even as the budget package cleared.