Lawmakers to Consider Virginia Governor's Vetoes, Amendments

State lawmakers are set to consider this week whether there should be tighter gift rules for elected officials and looser restrictions on surveillance technology used by police.

Legislators are due back in Richmond on Wednesday for the so-called "veto session,'' where they will consider vetoes and amendments made by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

McAuliffe's proposal for stricter ethics rules is likely to get top billing, as lawmakers continue to grapple with how to respond to a high-profile corruption scandal involving former Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The current governor wants lawmakers to agree to a $100 aggregate gift limit from lobbyists or others with financial interests in state government, rather than a $100 limit per gift that lawmakers proposed in an ethics bill passed in February during the final minutes of the 2015 regular legislative session.

Leaders in the GOP-controlled General Assembly have not publicly signaled whether they'll accept McAuliffe's proposed amendments.

The Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties sent lawmakers a letter earlier this month urging them to reject some of the restrictions McAuliffe added to the ethics bill related to travel paid for by outside entities. The groups said McAuliffe's proposals would hinder local official's abilities to be reimbursed for "routine'' trips related to their official duties.

Lawmakers have been struggling for two straight years on how best to reform the state's ethics laws, which critics have said are notoriously lax. Those efforts were prompted by revelations that McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, accepted gifts that included a Rolex watch, high-end designer clothes and other perks from vitamin salesman Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his products.

Both McDonnells were convicted in September on federal corruption charges and have been sentenced to prison. They are currently free as they appeal their convictions.

There's also likely to be debate on McAuliffe's proposed changes to legislation that passed with broad support aimed at reining in the power of police to carry out surveillance on citizens.

Those proposed changes include loosening restrictions on when police could use drones and lengthen the time police could keep data collected by automatic license plate readers that's not part of an investigation from seven days to 60 days.

The governor's spokesman, Brian Coy, said the governor is trying to strike a reasonable compromise between civil liberties and the needs of law enforcement.

But Fairfax Democratic Sen. Chap Petersen said the state's law enforcement agencies are presenting misleading information about the legislation and McAuliffe's administration has "drank the Kool-Aid.''

Republicans are unlikely to be able to overturn the governor's vetoes because they don't' have the votes in the nearly evenly split Senate. Both chambers need a two-thirds vote in order to undo a veto.

McAuliffe has blocked several GOP-backed bills on guns and redistricting. He also vetoed legislation dubbed the "Tebow bill'' that draws its name from former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and would allow home-schooled students to participate in public-school sports.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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