GOVERNOR’S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 650 which requires that the Governor, his campaign committee, and any political action committee established on his behalf shall not knowingly solicit or accept a contribution, gift, or other item with a value greater than $50 from persons or entities seeking loans or grants from the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund (GOF). The bill also restricts such gifts and contributions from persons and entities seeking loans or grants from the Fund. This bill is identical to House Bill 1212.

I proposed key recommendations for this bill during the reconvened session. First, while grants are awarded by the Governor from the GOF, the General Assembly approves and votes on its funding; therefore the provisions and protections for ethical standards associated with these awards should also apply to legislators. Additionally, requiring the 2015 Session of the General Assembly to reenact this bill would allow appropriate time to determine the best means for review and implementation. These measures would avoid unintended consequences and protect confidentiality for ongoing economic development projects. These recommendations were not adopted.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.

GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION

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of the Governor or a member of the General Assembly,

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of the Governor or a member of the General Assembly

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a member of the General Assembly, a

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2. That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2015 Session of the General Assembly.

3. That the Executive Branch Ethics Commission created on January 11, 2014, by Executive Order 2 shall study the provisions of this act and shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by October 1, 2014. The report shall include whether any revisions are necessary to ensure the maintenance of high ethical standards within the Executive Branch.