GOVERNOR'S VETO

April 10, 2007

TO THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES:

HOUSE BILL NO. 2422

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2422, which would have removed the requirement for restaurants to maintain nonsmoking sections, provided that they post “smoking permitted” signs.

I offered an amendment to ban smoking in restaurants.  This amendment was not accepted by the House of Delegates, though there is broad agreement that additional smoking limitations are warranted.  Accordingly, I am asking my Health Commissioner to convene stakeholders to develop a proposal for next year.  At the same time, I am unwilling to sign legislation that would eliminate the current requirement for a nonsmoking section.

Accordingly, I am vetoing this bill.

GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATION

1. Line 179, enrolled

strike

all of lines 179 through 183