As Virginia’s General Assembly prepares to do business later this month, Governor McAuliffe is warning members not to introduce controversial bills that involve social policy. He urged them to be tolerant and to focus on jobs, transportation and education.
The Governor began his day at the University of Virginia, signing an executive order making it illegal for any companies who do business with the state to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and he vowed to veto a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks.
“We will not tolerate any attacks on women’s rights or LGBT rights here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am 71 -0 on vetoes," McAuliffe said. "They have yet to override any of my vetoes, and let me be clear. They are not going to be able to override any of my vetoes in the upcoming legislative session.”
Terry McAuliffe said Virginia was already welcoming new businesses that did not want to locate in Indiana or North Carolina where lawmakers have passed discriminatory legislation.
“I just announced a major company has moved to Richmond – 732 high-paying jobs, because they will not go to a state that discriminates against women or members of the LGBT communities.”
At Equality Virginia, Executive Director James Parrish said the declaration was needed, since the law allowed private firms to deny employment or housing to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people. Companies that don’t do business with the state can still discriminate, but Parrish said that’s unlikely.
“The private sector can still willingly fire and not hire people for being gay or transgender, but 17 out of the 18 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Virginia have non-discrimination protection.”
McAuliffe also asked lawmakers to remove a ban on gay marriage from the state’s constitution.
