RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe addressed the General Assembly on Monday, just two days after he was sworn into the office.
He laid out his vision for the next year in his first address to a joint assembly at the State Capitol.
McAuliffe said he wanted lawmakers to tackle education by expanding access to Pre-K programs and reforming the SOL requirements.
He said drivers going through the Hampton Roads tunnels are paying too much and it needs to be more equitable, adding that a new toll rate will be introduced soon.
He said he supports the Dream Act where the children of illegal immigrants could attend Virginia colleges.
But the most contentious issue was his call to expand Medicaid by adding 400,000 Virginians to the rolls.
"If we fail to exercise this option we will forego $2.1 billion dollars annually of federal funding over the next three years. That is more than five million dollars every day."
Mcauliffe said he hoped the state's medicaid reform commission would finish its work by the time the General Assembly adjourns in March.
