RICHMOND, VA – Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) released the following statement on Governor McAuliffe’s actions related to House Bill 1500:

“We are pleased that Governor McAuliffe signed the General Assembly’s budget amendments. This year’s budget represents a bipartisan and bicameral agreement on Virginia’s priorities. While we are reviewing all of the Governor’s actions, we are disappointed with several specific actions.

“As I said last year, the Governor’s purported veto of the Stanley Amendment is not valid and will not be reflected in the final budget law. This position is consistent with rulings of the Supreme Court and has been applied by both Republican and Democratic Speakers. The Governor cannot veto conditions attached to appropriations without vetoing the appropriation as well. This has been the consistent practice of the General Assembly, and the Governor will be notified accordingly.

“Additionally, the action taken by Governor McAuliffe on language related to the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 is unprecedented in recent memory. The amendment clarifies that language adopted by the 2012 General Assembly applies not just to state-managed contracts for transportation projects, but for Public-Private Projects as well. The amendment does not prohibit labor agreements, it simply states they may not be mandated. It is disappointing that Governor McAuliffe would use the budget to curry favor with big union bosses. We are reviewing the Governor’s actions to assess their impact on the budget.”