Virginia Governor Orders Special Session to Work on Two-Year Spending Plan.

Byline: Kevin Crossett

Mar. 17--RICHMOND, Va. -- Gov. Mark Warner, during a late-afternoon news conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday, called the General Assembly into a special session starting at noon today.

Warner read the proclamation in time for evening newscasts and about two hours before the 140-member General Assembly ended its 60-day session, which stretched three extra days.

Tuesday's action forces the 140-member body to continue work on the state's two-year spending plan and nullified a House of Delegates proposal to call its own special session. The House still plans to take a break for an unspecified length of time so lawmakers can return to their home districts and allow the nine budget negotiators to continue working out a compromise.

"I don't believe any minds can be so closed in the legislature that they wouldn't ultimately do their duty and adopt a responsible budget," Warner said after reading the short document that …