GOVERNOR'S VETO EXPLANATION (March 27, 1995)

In accordance with Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, I am vetoing this bill.

This legislation would determine the distribution of funds generated by the sale or lease of state-owned surplus property. Under current law, fifty percent of such proceeds are allocated to the Conservation and Resources Fund and fifty percent goes into the General Fund.

With the prior approval and cooperation of the patron, Delegate Purkey, I submitted amendments to the Reconvened Session that would have allocated fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of surplus property to capital construction needs of colleges and universities, and fifty percent to prison construction.

The priorities for capital investment at this time are in the areas of public safety and education. Protecting Virginians from violence by keeping dangerous criminals behind bars without liberal parole or early release is the most pressing obligation of state government today. Next to law enforcement, government's most immediate obligation is education.

The selling of under-utilized and other surplus state property is an important source of capital for pay-as-you-go prison construction and for expansion of college and university facilities as student enrollments increase. A bipartisan commission chaired by Senator Stosch and Secretary of Administration Thomas is currently identifying the existing state property that could be beneficially sold to produce this capital.

Rather than engaging in mere posturing and rhetoric regarding the pay-as-you-go principle, the majority could have adopted my amendments and thereby significantly reduced the debt burden on the people of Virginia in the future. The rejection of my amendments to House Bill 2347 represents a vote for unnecessary debt and against better use of existing capital resources to address priorities in law enforcement and education.

The bill in its current form is actually worse for the efficient use of dollars from surplus property sales than current law. Consequently, in the interest of fiscal responsibility, I must veto the bill.

GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION

1. Page 2, enrolled, the first line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after C.

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Fifty seventy-five

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Fifty

2. Page 2, enrolled, the fourth line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after shall be

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paid

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deposited

3. Page 2, enrolled, the fifth line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after the

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as follows: (i) one-third shall be deposited in

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into

4. Page 2, enrolled, the seventh line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after education;

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the remainder of line 7, all of lines 8 and 9, and line 10 through Conservation Resources Fund;

5. Page 2, enrolled, the twelfth line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after remaining

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fifty twenty-five

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fifty

6. Page 2, enrolled, the fourteenth line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after Commonwealth

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to pay capital construction costs for correctional facilities

7. Page 2, enrolled, the fourteenth line of subsection C of § 2.1-512, after Commonwealth.

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the remainder of line 14 and all of lines 15 through 20