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Medicaid Expansion, Still Stumbling Block for VA Budget Writers

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia House of Delegates plans to reconvene next week in hopes of being able to finalize a state budget.

But the debate among Republican lawmakers over the expansion of Medicaid could hold things up.

GOP lawmakers in both chambers are currently split on whether to include Medicaid expansion in the state budget. The disagreement has led to a lengthy stalemate on the spending plan.

GOP Speaker Kirk Cox announced Thursday that the House would gavel in on May 23.

Cox said he expects the Senate to have passed a state budget by then for the House to consider.

The Senate is set to meet on May 22, but it's unclear whether it will pass a budget that day.

State government will shut down 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.