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uer uie wiutJijf iieiu iiuscuiituir tion that the requirement was already a part of the Constitution. Indeed, many of them would have confidently bet the plantation on it. The supposed provision was proclaimed in many a proud oration celebrating the Old Dominion’s “Constitution bound commitment” to fiscal sanity and economic conservatism.
But surprise, surprise!
In 1981 Sen. Elliot Schewel, (D-Lynchburg) was doing research on a related piece of legislation. To his astonishment, as well as that of his fellow lawmakers, he found that no such constitutional prohibition against deficit spending existed.
To be sure, Virginia has always had a balanced budget. The requirement that it be balanced is included in each Appropriations Bill.
Nevertheless Schewel dropped an amendment resolution in the hopper which was designed to plug this potential red ink leak. The rationale for the amendment’s need was the perceived danger that, down the road, Virginia lawmakers might change their conservative ways. According to this view, while up to now our legislatures have been the models of fiscal restraint, the members of some future General Assembly could . turn out to be a pack of such profligate wastrels that an iron constitutional limitation might be required to protect the populace from them.
Given the fiscal temper of the Commonwealth, most observers believe that is not likely to occur until, say, about the 28th Century at the earliest.
Some have also expressed concern that, by imbedding the requirement in the Constitution, the state might find itself locked into a position in which, in the event of some dire future fiscal crisis, it would be unable to act. That caveat, however, has been lightly regarded.
If approved by the voters, the balanced budget amendment would take effect on July 1, 1986, the first day of the next bienniel budget period.
Such are the 1984 General Assembly’s proposed contributions to George Mason’s much revised Constitution.
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