After weeks of intense negotiation and debate, the Virginia General Assembly has successfully approved a two-year budget that exceeds $200 billion. Key components of the budget include significant raises for teachers and a new tax aimed at data centers, expected to generate around $600 million annually. This budget deal comes just days before a potential partial government shutdown and marks a compromise between the state’s divided lawmakers. Governor Abigail Spanberger is set to review the finalized budget, which includes provisions for the demolition of the Richmond Coliseum and aims to address the funding challenges posed by the ongoing growth of data centers in the region.