Advisory Committee Update

I would like to take the time to briefly summarize the issues at Veto Session.

Governor McAuliffe vetoed 19 House bills and 5 Senate bills.  Of the House bills, all measures dealing with guns failed to be overridden with all Democrats voting to support the Governor.  Two bills were over ridden by the House, one that would preserve our existing historical markers and one that would assist our coal regions, however the veto was sustained in Senate.  All Senate bills that were vetoed were sustained in the Senate, so they never came before the House.

The Governor amended 47 House and Senate bills, 41 of which were accepted. The most controversial amendment was to our Death Penalty statute.  It has become almost impossible to secure the drugs necessary to perform executions. The primary reason is that pharmacies and drug companies are fearful of law suits, demonstrations and boycotts from Death Penalty opponents.  The Governor’s amendments provided a means of securing the necessary drug from out of state sources that will be shielded from being identified, except by legal motion of the prisoner.  The Governor made clear that failure to accept his amendments would stop all executions.  The amendments were accepted in the House 59-40 and in the Senate 22-16.  I voted for the amendments.

I will have my Spring Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at my office at 120 Falcon Drive, from 6:30-8:00, to discuss some of the issues of the 2016 Session.

If you are not a current committee member, simply call my office to join or for more information.

As always, I stand humbled to serve you.  For questions or concerns,  please contact me at (540) 891-1322; P.O. Box 458, Thornburg, VA, 22580; or Delborrock@virginia.state.gov

Sincerely,

Robert D. “Bobby” Orrock