Virginia House Empowers Speaker To Replace Attorney General, Public Advocate condemns game playing
The Richmond Times Distpatch reports:
The House of Delegates voted 65-32 on Thursday to approve a resolution that would empower the Speaker of the House to hire outside legal counsel to replace Attorney General Mark R. Herring in the same-sex marriage lawsuit filed against the state but supported by the Attorney General's Office.
The resolution also would empower the speaker to hire outside counsel if Gov. Terry McAuliffe were to try to expand the state's Medicaid program without legislative approval or in any other case in which the governor or attorney general declined to defend a state law.
Eugene Delgaudio President of Public Advocate told thousands of supporters tonight
"...................As originally written, H.R. 566 would have required Speaker Howell to remove Attorney General Mark Herring from the federal case and ensure the Marriage Amendment has a true legal defender.
But the latest deal Speaker Howell has cut leaves it up to his discretion to defend Real Marriage or not... a power he has had all along!
His maneuvering simply allows him to wiggle off the hook and shirk his responsibility to pro-Family Virginians.
And once again, he has proven his lack of commitment to protecting our state's Marriage Amendment, and his commitment to playing insider political games.................."