House rebuffs McDonnell on cuts for public broadcasting, at-risk children

The General Assembly struck a blow for Bert and Ernie yesterday, voting to reject three budget amendments proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to begin phasing out state funding for public television and radio.

Also yesterday, the House of Delegates rejected a McDonnell proposal to cut $10 million from the Comprehensive Services Act, which provides state and local services to at-risk and needy children.

The vote on public television and radio capped a one-day reconvened session in which lawmakers approved most of the governor's proposed changes but rejected 14 of his budget amendments.

McDonnell said the legislature had been largely supportive of his revisions, claiming a 92 percent pass rate, though legislators in both parties refused to accept his proposed cuts in services to at-risk kids and other health-related programs.

On health-care expenses, McDonnell said, "We just had a different view about the need to contain costs."

The effect of the three budget amendments dealing with public television and radio was to preserve about $2.6 million in funding.

McDonnell had sought to phase out funding for the government-sponsored broadcasting.

Opponents said public broadcasting is not a core responsibility of government. Del. John A. Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, said "the idea you can listen to NPR and get an unbiased approach -- it ain't going to happen."

Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, said public broadcasting serves an increasingly important educational purpose, particularly because commercial broadcasters are cutting back on coverage of government.

Public television also is the home of such shows as "Sesame Street," which teaches children with the help of Muppet stars Bert and Ernie.

The two bodies worked late into the night, acting on 96 proposed budget amendments and proposed revisions to 122 bills. The House quit at 9 p.m.; the Senate, which spent much of the day waiting for the House, adjourned 45 minutes later.

With Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling stranded in Italy because of the Icelandic volcano crisis, it fell to the Senate's most senior member -- Democrat Charles J. Colgan of Prince William County -- to serve as presiding officer.

At the end of the marathon session, Senate colleagues gave him an outsize gavel in gratitude for pinch-hitting for Republican Bolling.

"God bless Bill Bolling, wherever you are," Colgan said.

After a lengthy floor fight, the Senate upheld McDonnell's proposal to limit state funding of abortions. The vote was 20-19. The House similarly had upheld the abortion amendment after an emotional floor debate.

The Senate rejected a McDonnell amendment that would have allowed ethics investigations to be referred to the attorney general, but it upheld a proposal to prohibit ethics complaints within 60 days of an election.

As for the Comprehensive Services Act, McDonnell said state funding has increased significantly in recent years and that the reductions would be just 1 percent and 2 percent in the 2010-12 budget period.

Children will suffer, said Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, who led a Democratic charge against the proposed cut. The McDonnell budget amendment was rejected 69-24.

While McDonnell won support from the House on most of his jobs-creation measures, even his fellow Republicans turned against him on several budget proposals.

Delegates voted 63-32 to reject a McDonnell move to issue $20 million in bonds to build a medical-education center in Abingdon. Opponents, including several Republicans, said it was not needed. Southwest Virginia delegates said there is a shortage of doctors in Southwest Virginia.

Del. Robert D. Orrock Sr., R-Caroline, attacked a McDonnell amendment that would express legislative intent that savings in teacher-retirement benefits estimated at $500 million would be used to help maintain local school and law-enforcement funding levels.

The money should go only to education, he argued, saying it would be "a breach of faith" to do otherwise. The amendment was rejected 60-35.

And Democrats derided a McDonnell proposal to extend managed care to Medicaid as a major policy change that needed more study. Del. M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said major changes are needed or rising Medicaid costs will break the state.

That amendment also was defeated.

McDonnell prevailed on a proposal that would prohibit local governments from cutting retirement benefits for state and local government employees.

He also won on an amendment to limit further state spending on abortion so that it would apply only to women pregnant through rape or incest or if the life of the mother is at stake. Democrats argued that other women would suffer, but the bill passed 64-30.

In the Senate, a McDonnell amendment to legislation controlling automobile salvage was defeated easily. The bill was sponsored by a Republican, Sen. Richard H. Stuart of Westmoreland County.

After spending nearly 4½ hours debating the 96 budget amendments proposed by McDonnell, the House quickly disposed of one that would prohibit animal shelters from euthanizing dogs based solely on their breed.

Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, ruled that the amendment was not germane to the bill.

"I'm in the doghouse now," Howell quipped.

McDonnell said it is unlikely that he will use his item veto to strike specific sections of the budget that legislators refused to change.

"I don't see anything at this point," McDonnell said.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writer Jeff E. Schapiro contributed to this report.