RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe says Virginia’s economy is in a “very perilous” situation with potential federal defense cuts looming. McAuliffe says he’s open to considering eliminating tax relief programs in order to balance the state budget. He and state lawmakers met with heads of several large companies Monday to discuss the state’s economic outlook. House Appropriations Committee Chairman S. Chris Jones says the executives told lawmakers to be cautious in their budgeting for next year. The governor is set to introduce next month a spending plan to bridge a $322 million budget gap. He says he is open to rolling back a program that partially offsets Virginia’s car tax.
