by Dick Hall-Sizemore

All governors have ceremonial “signing” events for legislation that has already been officially signed into law. The purpose is to highlight both the legislation and its patrons.

On June 16, Gov. Spanberger had a ceremony in Richmond in which she signed a batch of bills relating to gun violence. As she signed each bill, she announced the bill number, the patron, and the purpose of the bill. After she signed it, she held it up for a photo op with the patron and presented the signed bill in a special folder, along with a ceremonial pen, to the beaming patron. The video of the entire ceremony, along with her opening remarks, can be found here. (The actual signings begin at about the 42:30 mark.)

According to a report in the Virginia Political Newsletter, a member of Spanberger’s staff approached Sen. Mike Jones (D-Chesterfield) and Sen. Russert Perry (D-Fairfax), who were waiting in the audience, before the ceremony began and informed them that their bills (SB 727 and SB 160, respectively) would not be among the bills being “signed” by the governor that day. The reason was that both Senators had appeared with Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, at stops on her recent “listening tour” in which she tried to drum up public support for her proposal to repeal the sales tax exemption on equipment for data centers. The senators left the meeting before it began.

This action does not have any effect on the legislation itself. The governor earlier officially signed them, and they will become law on July 1.  =But their patrons will not have a glossy photo of themselves with a beaming Gov. Spanberger holding up a copy of their bill.