Gov. Mark R. Warner took action on bills passed by the General Assembly last Thursday and Friday, amending two controversial bills but otherwise signing a large majority of them into law.
Of the 1,035 bills to pass both the House of Delegates and Senate, Warner signed 980, amended 53 and vetoed two bills, one at the request of its sponsor and one because Warner signed a similar but more comprehensive bill into law at the same time.
Warner amended a bill establishing "feticide," the unlawful and premeditative killing of an unborn fetus, as a crime by adding a sentence explicitly stating that the bill would not infringe on the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision protecting a woman's right to have an abortion. Warner also amended a bill expressly prohibiting Virginia from recognizing civil unions granted in other states by striking language concerning partnership contracts from the bill, leaving it only preventing Virginia from recognizing civil unions.
In a press release announcing his actions, Warner declared his support for the feticide bill but said he added the language to ensure it would not interfere with abortion rights, as many opponents have suggested.
"My proposed amendment should resolve that debate to the satisfaction of both sides," Warner wrote.
Similarly, Warner said he did not support same-sex marriages but claimed the bill was constitutionally problematic and listed several examples of unintended actions the bill could prohibit.
"This amendment essentially maintains the status quo with regard to same sex legal relationships in the Commonwealth but avoids the constitutional concerns raised by HB 751," Warner wrote.
Warner spokesperson Ellen Qualls said the constitutionality of a bill was one of many factors Warner took into account when deciding whether to sign, amend or veto legislation.
"If something is clearly unconstitutional, or constitutionally questionable, that's going to be a quick target for the governor's amendment," Qualls said.
Warner also amended a bill on home-schooling sponsored by Del. Rob Bell, R-Charlottesville. The bill would have lowered the requirement for parents teaching children at home from a college degree to a high school diploma, but Warner's amendment restores the original requirement while allowing parents without a college degree to home school children if they achieve a certain score on a standardized test such as the SAT.
Warner expressed his support for a bill ending the 21-day limit after conviction for felons to introduce evidence proving their innocence, but amended it by eliminating language limiting such felons to only one petition to introduce evidence.
Several bills signed by Warner include those stiffening penalties against drunk driving. Warner also signed a bill allowing ABC stores in Fairfax and Virginia Beach to sell alcohol on Sundays and a bill excluding political caucuses from the Freedom of Information Act while ensuring floor sessions and any committee business of the General Assembly remain open to the public.
University Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato said the debate swirling around Virginia's budget, which continues to keep lawmakers in a special session, influenced Warner's decisions on bill vetoes and amendments.
"No doubt, he didn't want to create any side effects that could have cost him a critical vote or two on the budget," Sabato said.
The General Assembly will vote on Warner's amendments during a one-day reconvened session.
Originally, that day was scheduled to be tomorrow, but the legislature remains in a special session because it hasn't agreed on a budget, which Qualls and Sabato affirmed as the most important part of this year's session.
"Really, the tax reform and budget were job one and that job isn't done," Qualls said.
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