GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 689, which would reduce the membership of the Virginia Workforce Council by four members and the number of Governor’s appointees to the Council by eight.

Our global economy demands that we dedicate significant resources to educating and training our present and future workforce.  I am committed to working with the General Assembly during my term to give this important issue the attention that it deserves.

However, I do not believe that this bill, in its present form, advances that goal.  As a result, I offered an amendment that would have restored to the Council two additional members.  Moreover, I restored some measure of gubernatorial appointment authority by requiring that four other members be appointed in consultation with the General Assembly leadership, rather than from a list provided by the General Assembly.

The patron of this measure and his colleagues in the Senate unanimously agreed to that compromise.  Unfortunately, the House of Delegates chose to reject the amendment, stating that language requiring consultation with the Speaker of the House was taking power away from the Speaker.  In fact, these appointments are currently made by the Governor, and the bill is taking appointment power away from the Governor.  My amendments were a good faith effort at compromise on this issue.

Without this compromise, no reason exists for the executive branch to cede appointment power at this point.  Accordingly, I am vetoing this legislation.

GOVERNOR’S RECOMMENDATION

1. Line 13, enrolled, after 29

strike

25

insert

27

2. Line 14, enrolled, after members,

strike

15

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17

3. Line 45, enrolled, after appointed

strike

from among two candidates,

4. Line 46, enrolled, after Governor,

strike

upon the recommendation of

insert

in consultation with

5. Line 49, enrolled, after appointed

strike

from among six candidates,

6. Line 49, enrolled, after Governor,

strike

upon the recommendation of

insert

in consultation with

7. Line 50, enrolled, after (iv)

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11

insert

13