RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is asking state lawmakers to avoid partisan squabbles and expand Medicaid during the 2016 legislative session.
The Democratic governor touted his accomplishments and outlined his goals in his State of the Commonwealth speech before the GOP-controlled General Assembly, kicking off its 2016 legislative session.
McAuliffe is entering his third year in office, which is typically when Virginia’s single term-limited governors push for an ambitious legislative agenda. But McAuliffe and top Republicans have repeatedly clashed on the governor’s top priority: expanding Medicaid to Virginia’s able-bodied poor adults. McAuliffe has included expanding Medicaid in his $109 billion biennial budget, something Republicans say is a non-starter.
The 2016 legislative session will last 60 days, and so far about 2,000 bills have been filed.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
