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Virginia Governor Set to Outline Two-Year Budget

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Terry McAuliffe is set to lay out his proposed amendments to Virginia's two-year state budget.

The Democratic governor will address a joint meeting of the General Assembly's money committees on Friday.

McAuliffe announced a $1.5 billion budget shortfall this summer, which forced him to scrap planned raises for state employees and ask agency directors to plan for cuts.

The governor said late last month that the economy is improving enough to avoid some of the toughest budget cuts being considered, but didn't discuss specifics.

McAuliffe said this week that his budget proposal will include a 1.5 percent one-time bonus for state workers next year and $31.7 million in new funds to improve mental health care and substance abuse treatment in Virginia.

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.