RICHMOND â The General Assembly is under a tight deadline to add new judges to Virginiaâs Court of Appeals, with the goal being able to appoint them to the bench before the legislative session concludes at monthâs end. Gov. Ralph Northam identified expanding the court by adding more judges a priority, requesting the General Assembly put $5 million in the budget to accomplish it, but the process has been rocky in the Democrat-controlled legislature. Both chambers need to pass legislation, and agree on how much to put in the state spending plan to support the effort. The Senate passed a bill last week to add six new judges â two more than what Northam proposed â to the 11-member court. The House of Delegates did not take any action on its own bill, which caused senators to raise eyebrows. House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, chairwoman of the House Courts of Justice Committee, said the House didnât have enough time to review the bill in committee before the deadline to complete action on House bills last week. She said she remains committed to expanding the court, despite what she said has been a âproblem with the process.â