This paper assessed factors that delayed the passage of the annual budget bill specifically in Virginia and also in 13 structurally similar states including: Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Virginia was the core focus of this study, but the variables detailed below were also measured for all thirteen states in an effort to broaden the scope of the study, and determine which political and economic factors affected the budget passage rates in Virginia and the 13 other states. Political and economic explanations were tested to examine their relationship with the passage of the state’s budget bills including: divided governments, election cycle of the Governor, economic conditions, and political party influence. Through the use of a general linear model, the relationship between these political and economic factors and the time that it takes to pass an annual budget was assessed from 1980 to 2010. The findings in this study revealed that split branch governments have an impact on the time that it takes to pass a state budget bill. The findings in this study helped deepen our understanding of factors that influenced state budget bill passage rates and suggested recommendations for future legislative sessions that will benefit state agencies, legislators, and citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia.