Virginia budget provides $230 million for higher education, nothing for pregnancy prevention

The General Assembly has finally passed a two-year, $85 million state budget for Virginia. In the frenzied final days of the budget negotiations last week, Democrats focused on the $300 million in funding that they tried but failed to get included for the Metrorail to Dulles International Airport project. Governor Robert McDonnell issued a news release on Monday trumpeting the $230 million in new state funds for higher education. Keeping the new state funding in mind, McDonnell sent a letter to Virginia college presidents and boards, asking them to keep increases in in-state tuition in line with the rate of inflation. The average in-state tuition went up by 9.7 percent for the 2011-2012 school year, according to the release.

McDonnell wrote, “I remain very concerned about the affordability of post-secondary education for the young people of Virginia.” While higher education funding got the attention needed, funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs was eliminated. As the Senate resorted $455,000 for pregnancy prevention in its budget plan, House and Senate budget negotiators eliminated that money. In a news release, Tarina Keen, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said, “We are shocked and saddened that Virginia is taking this backwards step that will harm public health and the well-being of Virginia’s young people.” The headline on the news release read, “McDonnell Succeeds in Putting Teenagers at Risk.”