Today is the last day for Governor Bob McDonnell to sign a pile of bills into law. He has already made adjustments on two pieces of legislation:
– Spy drone ban amended to allow exceptions for search-and-rescue operations
– Texting-while-driving will be a primary offense, but the fines will be brought into line with existing offenses such as reckless driving
The Governor has not yet announced his decision on the transportation tax hike and expansion of Medicaid – both of which had their constitutionality brought into question by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
UPDATE: From the Governor’s office:
DRONES:
Governor McDonnell is sending amendments to the General Assembly on the drone moratorium bill that would allow the use of this technology for certain law enforcement operations such as the search or rescue of missing persons or in cases involving imminent danger to any person. This will allow law enforcement officials to use this developing technology to protect public safety while respecting individual rights of citizens and their expectation of privacy. Additionally, these amendments clarify that this legislation does not apply to institutions of higher education or other entities engaged in research and development of this and related technology. Lastly, the governor’s amendments will require that the Department of Criminal Justice Services help develop guidelines for the appropriate use of drones by law enforcement agencies in the future.TEXTING:
The governor believes that texting while driving is a dangerous activity and motorists should refrain from this, and all, distractions while behind the wheel. Texting is but one of many dangerous driving distractions that can cause crashes, injuries and deaths on Virginia highways. Drivers should concentrate on their responsibility of operating a motor vehicle safely and remaining in control at all times, and therefore should avoid texting and other distractions that can take their attention away from the roadway and cause accidents. The governor supports making texting while driving a primary offense, but has proposed to reduce the fines for convictions to bring them more in line with the penalties for comparable violations such as DUI and reckless driving. Additionally, the governor’s amendments will require that the Department of Criminal Justice Services make training available to state and local law enforcement agencies for enforcement of this new law.
