Virginia state Sen. Phil Puckett resigning
http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2014/06/09/virginia-state-sen-phil-puckett-resigning/10220979/

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The governor's office says a Democratic state senator is resigning, giving Republicans a one-seat advantage in the chamber in the middle of a bitter battle between the parties over Medicaid expansion.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy says Sen. Phil Puckett notified the governor's office Saturday that he's stepping down.

Puckett could not be immediately reached for comment.

Republican Delegate Terry Kilgore says the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization's executive committee is considering giving Puckett a staff job. Kilgore is the chairman of the commission.

Senate Democratic Leader Richard Saslaw says Puckett's resignation will be effective Monday.

McAuliffe's office said in a statement Sunday that he was deeply disappointed by the resignation of a fellow Democrat and the uncertainty that creates around expanding Medicaid. McAuliffe favors widening the health care program for the poor.
Attachments:

Things are looking up.

This means the Republicans an advantage.

Serious question: why did he resign?

Boy, something big must be happening. Opposition research might have unearthed something in his past (or present).

Resigning, more like taking a nice cushy GOP sponsored job for himself and his daughter.

The Senate Leader Saslow and DC Post say he's resigning to clear the way for his daughter to be confirmed. Current Senate rules require it. The courts appointed her temporarily a year ago. The House confirmed her months ago. Apparently his daughter advancing in her career is more important than holding the budget hostage over McAwful's petty demands. Now the 19 republicans, Colgan, and any other fiscally-responsible democrats can finally vote on the House's budget.
Standard practice too. A legislator from Virginia Beach resigned to conform to the same rule not too long ago.

Good.
No Medicaid for you loafers and illegals. Move to MD.

Senate resignation fuels state budget adoption push
http://www.insidenova.com/news/loudoun/senate-resignation-fuels-state-budget-adoption-push/article_b895ca1e-6a02-5f00-8df2-ac3a9e573623.html

With Republicans now in control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly, they are expected to adopt a budget as early as Thursday and postpone any action on Medicare expansion.

In the two days following the sudden resignation of state Sen. Phillip P. Puckett (D-38) Monday, Republicans sounded confident that a two-year state budget will be on Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s desk by the end of the week.

In an interview today, McAuliffe told Leesburg Today he first wants to see the final spending plan before he vows to sign anything. “We’ll be in meetings around the clock the next two days, and I want to see what the final product is first.”

With Democrats now one vote shy of the majority in the Senate, the budget will likely not include a plan to expand Medicaid, part of states’ requirement to receive federal funding through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats, led by McAuliffe, wanted a proposal to extend coverage to as many as 400,000 Virginians to be included in the state budget, while Republicans have said they want the issue to be addressed separately from the budget discussion.

They’ll most likely get their chance. The governor is expected to call a special session on the matter in the coming months.

To that, state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-33), Loudoun’s lone Democrat in Richmond, said, “I guess we’ll get an opportunity to see whether the Republicans have been sincere in their claims that they want to have a full discussion on it, apart from the budget.”

Delegates Tag Greason (R-32) and Randy Minchew (R-10) say they are still open to that debate.

The federal government has promised to pay for 100 percent of Medicaid expansion in the first three years and 90 percent every year thereafter, but most House Republicans have said they don’t trust that the federal government will keep up its end of the bargain.

Minchew said he is willing to look at options to get the federal dollars promised through the Affordable Care Act, but in general he is against expanding the program in Virginia without reforms because, as is, “Medicaid is soaking up about 33 percent of our state budget.

“Even without expansion, by 2020 Medicaid that we have is forecasted to grow to 40 percent of our budget…leaving just 60 cents of every dollar to pay for roads, schools, state police, state parks and everything else.”

“The idea of getting back for Virginia those dollars that businesses are paying for Obamacare for Virginia is not a bad idea,” Minchew added, “but the devil’s in the details, and a special session to discuss that I’m in favor of.”

Del. Tom Rust (R-87) has been touted as the only House Republican to support Medicaid expansion, but he joins the rest of his party in wanting to address the issue apart from the state budget. “We cannot hold up the funding for police and education, etc.,” he said.

In preparation for a special session on the matter, Rust is working to drum up support for his own version of expanding health coverage to more Virginians. In an interview Tuesday, he would not go into details about his bill, but he said others, including Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-24) and most likely McAuliffe, are expected to present proposals of their own.

“I think everybody is looking forward to debating legislation just on Medicaid,” he said.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch just broke the news that the FBI and U.S. attorney are investigating the GOP's jobs-for-resignation bribery scheme:

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the circumstances surrounding the recent resignation of state Sen. Phillip P. Puckett, D-Russell, including his alleged consideration for a job on the state tobacco commission and the pending judicial appointment of his daughter in Southwest Virginia. Sources familiar with the probe, speaking on condition of anonymity, said representatives of the FBI and United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia have been conducting interviews, including with elected officials who may have knowledge of the chain of events. One source said a grand jury will convene in Abingdon next week to hear testimony on the matter.

A father ends a political career to help his daughter advance her young judicial career, and the demokrats hate him.

If he went out and said "I refuse to step down for my daughter" it would have been a "War against Women!!1!!!!!" MoveOn ad.

Typikal hypokrite demokrats.

------------------------------------

twitter @EyeAmU

moveon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Richmond Times-Dispatch just broke the news
> that the FBI and U.S. attorney are investigating
> the GOP's jobs-for-resignation bribery scheme:
>
> The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating
> the circumstances surrounding the recent
> resignation of state Sen. Phillip P. Puckett,
> D-Russell, including his alleged consideration for
> a job on the state tobacco commission and the
> pending judicial appointment of his daughter in
> Southwest Virginia. Sources familiar with the
> probe, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
> representatives of the FBI and United States
> Attorney's Office for the Western District of
> Virginia have been conducting interviews,
> including with elected officials who may have
> knowledge of the chain of events. One source said
> a grand jury will convene in Abingdon next week to
> hear testimony on the matter.

If he'd sold guns to a Mexican drug cartel the FBI would ignore.

another for the Virginia flagship university wall of shame