GOP House Leader Threatens McAuliffe on Non-Discrimination Executive Order

Terry McAuliffe

If one has followed the Republican Party of Virginia over the two decades or so, the story line has been one of the steadily increasing influence of religious extremists, especially those at The Family Foundation ("TFF"), over the Virginia GOP.  And besides banning all abortions, TFF's highest priorities include keeping gay Virginians legal inferiors and making our lives as much of a living Hell as possible.  Republicans in the GOP controlled House of Delegates have been only too happy to tow the line dictated by dominatrix like Victoria Cobb, president of TFF, who makes tremble in fear of a primary contest.  Democrat Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe has pledged that his first act in office will be signing an Executive Order that will grant workplace non-discrimination protections to LGBT Virginians.  As one can well image, this move is not welcomed by the hate merchants at TFF or within the ranks of the political prostitutes of the Virginia GOP.  An article in Watch Dog.org looks at the GOP threat to sabotage McAuliffe's promised executive order.  Here are highlights:

Terry McAuliffe pledges to sign two executive orders on his first day as governor, but the leader of the GOP-controlled House of Delegates says the Democrat shouldn’t get too comfortable handing down edicts.

“Governor-elect McAuliffe has the ability to issue executive orders. This ability is not, however, an unlimited one,” House Speaker Bill Howell told Watchdog.org.

McAuliffe vowed to set a $100 gift cap on himself and his family, in response to the “gift gate” scandal that has embroiled Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The first-time office holder also said he will sign an executive order protecting gay, lesbian and transgender state workers from discrimination. That order would revive a policy of McDonnell’s Democrat predecessor, Tim Kaine.

Howell said McAuliffe’s non-discrimination order could be contested by lawmakers. “I don’t believe he can do an ENDA run around the General Assembly by executive order,” Howell, a Falmouth Republican, said, referring to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, currently blocked in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Delegate Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, was more blunt.

It is unknown if Republicans will challenge an ENDA edict, which McAuliffe promises to sign when he takes office Jan. 14. But Howell cautioned that the new governor, elected with less than 50 percent of the vote, would be on even thinner ice by pushing more rules via executive order.

State Sen. Tom Garrett likens McAuliffe more to Bill Clinton than to Obama.  “Clinton had no core issues. It’s just ‘How do I win?’ The same goes for McAuliffe: ‘What do I do to be popular?’” the Louisa County Republican said.

Nonetheless, Garrett noted that the General Assembly is in session just 60 days each year, leaving 10 months for the commonwealth’s chief executive to have the run of Richmond.

Polls show that 56% of Virginians support gay marriage and that the vast majority support workplace protections for LGBT citizens.  Yet the Virginia GOP continues to take its marching orders from hate-filled Christofascists at TFF.