GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 1371, which prohibits localities from enacting policies to improve employee wage and benefit conditions.

A number of localities have enacted wage policies designed to allow the employees of contractors performing services for those localities to generate enough income to allow them to live and raise a family in the area. Companies not inclined to participate at these wage levels need not contract with the localities. House Bill 1371 would undermine these laudable policies to no apparent advantage.

This legislation attempts to restrict wage growth and impedes future labor agreements. Virginia's efforts should be focused on increasing wages, which will improve the lives of our families and aid our efforts to build a new Virginia economy, rather than placing artificial restrictions on their future growth.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.