Misplaced Pages

#357642

68-593: In 2009, a $ 150 million replacement project began. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation , funds designated for planned work on the nearby Steel Bridge and on Dominion Boulevard ( US 17 ), each also in Chesapeake, are being diverted to the Gilmerton project, which is more urgent. VDOT also has advised that motor vehicle traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction during

136-531: A Commission on job creation and a Virginia Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring. Two of McDonnell's appointments drew criticism. On May 7, 2010, McDonnell appointed Fred Malek to chair the 31-member advisory commission on reforming state government created by one of his initial executive orders. On May 10, 2010, several Democratic members of the Legislature criticized the appointment due to Malek's controversial actions while personnel director in

204-401: A Republican State convention rather than a primary. Less than two weeks later, Creigh Deeds won his party's nomination in a primary, setting up a "rematch" of the state attorney general's race four years earlier. In early June, Deeds held a slight edge, with a 47%–41% advantage in a Rasmussen poll. As the campaign continued, the polls shifted toward McDonnell's favor, with several giving him

272-483: A commanding lead. However, when The Washington Post released McDonnell's thesis from Regent University, McDonnell's lead dwindled to only two percentage points in Rasmussen polling. As the election drew near, McDonnell's campaign regained steam, however. McDonnell defeated Deeds in the general election by a vote of 59%–41%, receiving the highest percentage of the vote for any candidate for governor since 1961. At

340-555: A contract to outsource the state's computer operations and sought to fund transportation improvements from asset sales, including a proposal to auction off liquor stores operated by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control . The state's unemployment rate declined from 7.4% in January 2010, when McDonnell took office, to 5.2% in December 2013, comparable to the decline in the national unemployment rate from 9.8% to 6.7% during

408-461: A directive ordering the Department of Conservation and Recreation to cease enforcing regulations prohibiting the carrying of firearms in state parks. He also gave preliminary approval to amend the regulations to allow people to carry open or concealed firearms in state forests. The regulations were already amended in 2003 to allow concealed weapons on park property. On August 15, 2011, McDonnell

476-522: A faster and more reliable travel option. Buses , carpools , motorcycles and emergency vehicles will be able to use the HOT lanes for free while drivers with fewer than three occupants can use the HOT lanes by paying a toll. The HOT lanes will use dynamic or congestion pricing to manage the number vehicles, and to keep them free-flowing. On average, vehicles are expected to be traveling 55 miles per hour, even during peak travel times. The first HOT Lanes in

544-427: A kind of "symbolic second term". But due to facing charges of corruption McDonnell's assistance was not sought by Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli 's campaign. On January 21, 2014, McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were indicted on federal corruption charges for receiving improper gifts and loans from a Virginia businessman. They were convicted on most counts by a federal jury on September 4, 2014. McDonnell,

612-459: A legislator and attorney general and the specific plans I have laid out for our future – not on a decades-old academic paper I wrote as a student during the Reagan era and haven't thought about in years." The Washington Post reported that McDonnell maintained: "Like everybody, my views on many issues have changed as I have gotten older." McDonnell said that his evolved position on family policy

680-589: A month. Unlike Gilmore's proclamation, which included anti-slavery language, McDonnell's initial proclamation omitted direct mention of slavery, drawing criticism from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and the NAACP . When initially asked why he had made the omission, McDonnell stated that "there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on

748-467: A number of neighborhoods affected by the construction, said: Once the project is truly underway, eventually pretty much all the trees in the VDOT right of way are going to be cleared ... I know I didn't have an appreciation of the extent of the clearing that was going to be done ... Do they really need to clear every teeny piece of vegetation in their right of way? The Virginia General Assembly established

SECTION 10

#1732787566358

816-585: A property lawsuit over the right of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to retain church property. In February 2009, McDonnell resigned as attorney general to campaign full-time for the governorship of Virginia in the 2009 election . McDonnell announced his candidacy for the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election at American Legion's Boy's State of Virginia 2007, making him the seventh consecutive elected attorney general to run. The statewide candidates, including McDonnell as governor, were selected at

884-598: A sponsor of the bill to request McDonnell to veto it, but he signed the bill into law anyway. As a result, the organization, which was under investigation in New Mexico (which barred the USNVA before the Virginia bill was signed), Florida, and Missouri, as well as other non-profit veterans' organizations, did not have to report to Virginia on how they spend the donations that they receive. McDonnell later donated to charity

952-732: A state legislator, he had been the lead sponsor for legislation to ban partial birth abortions , as well as for legislation requiring parental consent for minors' abortions, and informed consent for women seeking abortions. McDonnell advocated making Virginia the energy capital of the East Coast. He supported drilling for oil off of the coast of Virginia while simultaneously developing new technologies for wind , solar , biomass , and other renewable energy resources. He also intended to expand investments in renewable energy sources and incentivize green job creation. According to Mayors Against Illegal Guns , McDonnell sent personal letters to

1020-615: A state study of similar proposals for the Maryland side of the Capital Beltway. The governor believed it would be unfair to low-income residents to allow affluent drivers to buy their way out of traffic. In 2003, Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Philip A. Shucet stated that "[s]ingle drivers could pay $ 1 to $ 4 to get off of the congested regular lanes." By 2009, transportation planners in Washington estimated

1088-652: A trade association representing the Commonwealth's 194 not-for-profit credit unions and the 3 million member-owners residing in Virginia; The Virginia Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a group whose membership consists of over 6,000 small businesses across Virginia; and the National Rifle Association , which reversed its pro-Deeds 2005 endorsement for attorney general. On January 16, 2010, McDonnell

1156-409: A victory of 323 votes, out of over 1.9 million votes cast, over his opponent, Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds . Deeds filed for a recount , which began on December 20, 2005. A court decision limited the recount to just recompiling vote totals instead of examining individual optically scanned ballots. After preliminary figures revealed 37 more votes for McDonnell and that Deeds could not make up

1224-718: Is an American politician, attorney, businessman, academic administrator, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Republican Party . Born in Philadelphia , McDonnell was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve . He later served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2006, and was attorney general of Virginia from 2006 to 2009. A member of

1292-601: Is divided into nine districts: Many US states, as well as several US local governments and Canadian provinces , provide 511 systems. VDOT provides the Virginia 511 service, which may be accessed by the 511 telephone number, the https://www.511virginia.org/ website, and Twitter. In May 2012, VDOT introduced the Virginia 511 smartphone apps for Apple and Android devices. The Virginia 511 system provides traffic cameras , real-time road and traffic conditions, trip planning, weather information, and alternatives to traveling by car. In July 2009, VDOT closed 19 of its rest areas around

1360-559: Is the agency of the state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States . VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Building in downtown Richmond . VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads , bridges , and tunnels in the commonwealth . It is overseen by the Commonwealth Transportation Board , which has

1428-503: The Army Reserve as a JAG officer until retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1997. In 1994, McDonnell supported, and was a major co-sponsor of George Allen's initiative to abolish parole for those convicted of a felony. In 2005, McDonnell ran for attorney general. He campaigned on issues including protecting children from sexual predators, drug enforcement, identity theft, gang violence, and terrorism. The first result showed him with

SECTION 20

#1732787566358

1496-610: The National Instant Criminal Background Check System ." McDonnell campaigned as a gun rights advocate. He held an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund and won their endorsement. McDonnell opposed same-sex marriage . He advocated a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. McDonnell opposed legalizing marijuana . He later signed a bill that criminalized

1564-505: The Republican Party , McDonnell was elected governor of Virginia after using the campaign slogan "Bob's for Jobs." He defeated Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds by a 17-point margin in the 2009 general election , which was marked by the severe recession of the late 2000s . McDonnell succeeded Democrat Tim Kaine , who was term-limited by Virginia law. After taking office as governor, McDonnell advocated privatization and promoted offshore drilling for Virginia. He moved to extend

1632-846: The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana , on an ROTC scholarship, graduating with a BBA in management in 1976. Immediately following graduation, he served as a medical supply officer in the United States Army for four years. His military posts were medical clinics in Germany from 1976 to 1979, and in Newport News, Virginia , from 1979 to 1981. In addition, he took night classes and received an MS in business administration from Boston University in 1980. After leaving active duty in 1981, McDonnell worked for

1700-480: The $ 5,000 campaign contribution that he had received from Thompson. In August 2010, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced that a nationwide arrest warrant had been issued for Thompson, who had stolen the identity and Social Security number of a victim who was not connected to the USNVA. Corday stated, "We know he bilked Ohioans out of at least $ 1.9 million, and we estimate that nationally he collected at least $ 20 million." On January 14, 2011, McDonnell issued

1768-658: The 84th district in Virginia Beach . Under the 1998–2001 power-sharing arrangement between House Republicans and Democrats , he was Co-Chair of the Committee on the Chesapeake and its Tributaries in 2000–01. He became Chair of the Courts of Justice Committee in 2003. He also served on the Rules Committee 2000–05, and was Assistant Majority Leader. While serving in state office, McDonnell continued to serve in

1836-534: The American Hospital Supply Corporation, primarily in the custom products regional division. His career path shifted from business to law and public policy when he selected a joint degree program at Christian Broadcasting Network University now known as Regent University . He obtained an M.A. / J.D. there in 1989. During his studies, McDonnell interned under Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-California). McDonnell first ran and

1904-933: The Family: The Compelling Issue of The Decade. The document explored the rise in the numbers of divorces and illegitimate births , and examined public policies that may have contributed to that increase and proposed solutions. It gained attention in the campaign because it outlined a 15-point conservative agenda, including 10 points McDonnell pursued during his years in the General Assembly, according to press analysis. The agenda included opposition to abortion , support for school vouchers and covenant marriage , and tax policies that favored heterosexual families. In his thesis, McDonnell wrote "government policy should favor married couples over 'cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.'" McDonnell "described working women and feminists as 'detrimental' to

1972-596: The General Assembly formally renamed the agency the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The General Assembly spun off VDOT's rail and public transportation into a new department, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DPRT). DPRT reports directly to the Virginia Secretary of Transportation . Bob McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954)

2040-598: The General Assembly passed a bill exempting certain veterans' organizations from the registration and reporting requirements that apply to most charities that solicit donations in Virginia. The bill was introduced at the request of Bobby Thompson, director of the U.S. Navy Veterans Association (USNVA), who made large contributions to certain Republican candidates. After the bill passed both the House and Senate, newspaper accounts of that charity's questionable practices caused

2108-547: The Justice Department announced that they would not prosecute the case again and moved to dismiss the charges against the former governor and his wife. The case cost McDonnell over $ 27 million in legal bills. McDonnell currently serves as a professor at Regent University and runs the McDonnell Group, a real estate consulting firm, with his sister. McDonnell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ,

Gilmerton Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

2176-583: The Nixon administration and due to a 2007 SEC investigation settlement. On May 25, 2010, McDonnell was asked about the Malek appointment, and stated that he was unaware of Malek's role in the Nixon administration, a remark which State Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond) told The Washington Post that McDonnell's claim was "absolutely stunning and, frankly, beyond belief." McDonnell also nominated Robert C. Sledd to Secretary of Commerce and Trade, but withdrew

2244-700: The VDOT without a permit. VDOT will install a roadside memorial sign, normally for a period of two years. The sign may not deviate from the standard roadside memorial sign specifications. The cost must by paid by the person requesting the sign. Not everyone agreed with the new program. Vowing to ignore the program, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), whose son was killed in an auto accident along Interstate 81 in November 2001, said: By marking an accident site, survivors create "a living memory of this person's life," said Donna Schuurman, president of Association for Death Education and Counseling. Americans have swept

2312-662: The Virginia Department of Transportation, and encouraging public-private partnerships to improve infrastructure. He supported widening I-66 inside the Beltway, improving I-95, and finishing the Metrorail to Dulles Airport project. McDonnell criticized Governor Tim Kaine for not disclosing his full schedule, and for making out-of-state political appearances as Chair of the Democratic National Committee . McDonnell stated, "The citizens must be certain that

2380-625: The campaign, McDonnell's largest individual donor was former coal magnate Richard Baxter Gilliam , who was also McDonnell's fifth largest overall donor after the United States Chamber of Commerce . McDonnell received over $ 1.5 million from the energy and natural resources sector, including $ 622,198 from coal mining interests. The McDonnell For Governor campaign printed a variety of bumper stickers appealing to many interest groups, including "Women for McDonnell," "Sportsmen for McDonnell," and "Independents for McDonnell." Some appealed to

2448-518: The counties of Henrico and Arlington, maintain approximately 12,000 miles of local streets, and receive funds from the state for that purpose. VDOT operates and maintains: Highway maintenance and operations represent 41% of the total budget, followed by 32% for highway systems construction. Smaller portions of the budget are directed to address the needs and requirements of debt service, support to other agencies, administration, and earmarks and special financing. (in millions) (in millions) Virginia

2516-474: The difference, he conceded the next day, giving McDonnell a 323-vote margin of victory. McDonnell outspent Deeds in the general election by nearly $ 1 million. He was inaugurated on January 14, 2006, in Williamsburg , along with Democratic Governor Tim Kaine and Republican Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling . In 2007, McDonnell "played a key role in early negotiations" on the transportation package that

2584-536: The diverse minority groups throughout the Commonwealth. Some featured the mascots of select public universities such as the University of Virginia , Virginia Tech , James Madison University , Virginia Military Institute , and Old Dominion University . "Irish for McDonnell" stickers were printed for the select Virginia residents who attended the University of Notre Dame as well. His road-side billboard varied with geographic location, describing him as "Tidewater's Own," "Northern Virginia's Own" and "Fairfax's Own." It

2652-775: The donor's gift. Virginia required public disclosure of all gifts to public officials over $ 50. McDonnell was endorsed by Sheila Johnson , co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and owner of the Washington Mystics ; Virginia AgPAC: the Political Action Committee of the Virginia Farm Bureau, representing over 147,000 members; the Virginia Association of Realtors, the largest trade association in Virginia with over 33,000 members; The Virginia Credit Union League,

2720-535: The estimated four years the project will take to complete. The project was completed late May 2015 and normal traffic flow resumed May 26, 2015. Prior to this the bridge was closing at 8:00PM Sunday through Thursday. 36°46′31″N 76°17′42″W  /  36.7752°N 76.2950°W  / 36.7752; -76.2950 This article about a bridge in Virginia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Virginia Department of Transportation The Virginia Department of Transportation ( VDOT )

2788-427: The family." McDonnell also "criticized a landmark 1965 Supreme Court decision " which legalized the use of contraceptives, writing that "man's basic nature is inclined towards evil, and when the exercise of liberty takes the shape of pornography, drug abuse, or homosexuality, the government must restrain, punish, and deter." McDonnell responded to the article, stating "Virginians will judge me on my 18-year record as

Gilmerton Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

2856-441: The first State Highway Commission in 1906. In 1927, the Virginia Department of Highways (VDH) was established as a state agency. VDH became the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation (VDHT) in 1974, adding railroads and public transportation to its portfolio. In 1986, the General Assembly authorized expanded revenue sources for transportation, including airports and seaports. Also during that same special session,

2924-546: The first Virginia governor to be indicted or convicted of a felony, was sentenced on January 6, 2015, to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. However, he was free on bond during the subsequent appeals process. On June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously overturned McDonnell's conviction and remanded the case to a lower court. Less than three months later,

2992-399: The form of white crosses , Stars of David , bouquets of flowers, and photos of the dead, have been placed along roads at the scenes of fatal accidents. As of July 1, 2003, Virginia law has banned these memorials. Transportation officials have deemed them a threat to the safety of motorists. Virginia law §33.2-216 prohibits any person from installing a memorial on any highway controlled by

3060-480: The governor is attending to the duties for which he was elected. The governor is Virginia's chief executive, and represents the commonwealth at all times." However, in March 2010, McDonnell received similar criticism for disclosing very few meetings or political appearances on his publicly released schedule. McDonnell's 1989 thesis for Regent University was a 93-page document titled The Republican Party's Vision for

3128-507: The governors of the other 49 states urging them to follow his state in closing loopholes that allowed mentally unstable people to purchase guns. After the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, Virginia made this issue a top priority. McDonnell wrote in his letter: "I believe that we can all work together to help prevent these acts from occurring again anywhere in our Nation. I write to ask for your support in providing critical information to

3196-659: The grieving process under the rug, and now it's popping up in public ways that few expected—and that some don't like, according to Ms. Schuurman. In 1995, Virginia passed the Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA), which allows the state to enter into agreements with private entities to construct, improve, maintain and operate transportation facilities. Since then, Virginia has proposed or awarded several PPTA contracts, including: High-occupancy toll lanes (HOT lanes) are toll lanes operating alongside existing highway lanes. They provided drivers with

3264-639: The nation to open was the 91 Express Lanes project in Orange County, California , opening in December 1995. A computer adjusts the toll every six minutes, raising it if too many cars are on the highway, lowering it if the highway is underutilized. Even drivers who will not pay the toll appreciate the HOT lanes diverting traffic form the regular highway. But many people are not happy about the proposed HOT lanes in Northern Virginia . In 2001, Maryland governor Parris N. Glendening (D) stopped

3332-462: The nomination in the face of bipartisan opposition prompted by Sledd's refusal to give up paid outside corporate directorships. On January 27, 2010, McDonnell delivered the Republican response to President Barack Obama 's State of the Union Address . The response was delivered to GOP lawmakers, and invited friends in the chamber of the Virginia House of Delegates . Critics argued that

3400-549: The power to fund airports , seaports , rail , and public transportation . VDOT's revised annual budget for fiscal year 2019 is $ 5.4 billion. VDOT has a workforce of about 7,500 full-time employees. Virginia has the nation's third largest system of state-maintained highways, after North Carolina and Texas. The Virginia highway system totals approximately 58,000 miles of interstate, primary, frontage, and secondary roads. The system includes about 20,000 bridges and structures. In addition, independent cities and towns, as well as

3468-502: The projected rush-hour toll need to be $ 1.60 a mile. According to VDOT's web site: There will be no toll cap, as tolls must be able to increase to the level necessary to manage real-time traffic demand and keep the lanes congestion free. Those who own property along the path of the Capital Beltway HOT Lanes are growing increasingly agitated with the project. Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock), who represents

SECTION 50

#1732787566358

3536-493: The rest stops would save VDOT 9 million dollars toward its 2.6 billion dollar budget deficit. In January 2010, governor Bob McDonnell announced that he would reopen all of the closed rest areas as part of his campaign promises. The state is using an "adopt a rest stop" program, pulling 3 million dollars from the reserve maintenance fund, and employing non-violent inmates to help reopen the rest stops. They all reopened on April 17, 2010. Spontaneous roadside memorials , often in

3604-581: The same period. McDonnell's governorship ended with a 55% to 32% approval to disapproval rating among registered voters. McDonnell also served on the executive committee of the Republican Governors Association . McDonnell could not serve two consecutive terms due to Virginia's Constitutional provision Article V, section 1 from 1851. Due to the state's Constitution forbidding back-to-back terms, Virginia governors usually vigorously promote their party's candidate to succeed them as

3672-427: The same time, the other two statewide offices on the ballot were also won by Republicans. In a political and economic climate marked by the late-2000s recession , McDonnell promised that his priority as governor was employment for Virginians, with such campaign slogans as, "Bob's for Jobs." He supported right-to-work laws , low operating cost of government and a simplified tax code . Having lived in various parts of

3740-722: The son of Emma B. Meta (née Meiller) and John Francis McDonnell. His family moved to Fairfax County, Virginia , in 1955 when he was a year old. He spent four years of his early childhood in Germany when his father, a United States Air Force officer, was sent out on assignment. After returning to Virginia, the McDonnells permanently established residence in Fairfax County . McDonnell's mother worked at Mount Vernon . McDonnell graduated from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia , in 1972. McDonnell attended

3808-414: The state's agencies were affected. Over 4,000 people had to return to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get their photos retaken after an August 25 computer outage left their original photos unrecoverable. The system had also experienced a prior unrelated outage on August 9. Subsequently, Northrop Grumman agreed to pay $ 250,000 to fund a state investigation of the computer outage. The 2010 session of

3876-404: The state, his road-side billboard varied with geographic location, describing him as "Tidewater's Own", "Northern Virginia's Own", and "Fairfax's Own". The McDonnell campaign strategy was cast as focusing on economic issues, transportation, and public safety. McDonnell's proposals included new job initiatives, boosting Virginia's tourism, hospitality, and film industries, making Wallops Island

3944-513: The state, leaving some stretches of highway, such as I-81 which is a popular route for trucks, or the heavily traveled and often congested I-95 northbound between Washington, D.C. and Richmond , a distance of 106 miles (171 km), without a rest stop. Drivers complained that people who needed to use the restroom would have nowhere to go. VDOT countered that the I-95 corridor is highly developed, and many businesses have restrooms, and that closing

4012-746: The top commercial spaceport in America, and expanding growth in rural Virginia. McDonnell proposed measures to move $ 480 million per year from school administration, and put it directly into classrooms; establish more specialized high schools to support high-demand industries; increase online learning through virtual schools ; and support educational mentoring programs. McDonnell frequently expressed his support for President Barack Obama 's ideas on increasing parental choice through charter schools . Identifying as anti-abortion , McDonnell campaigned as an opponent of elective abortion. He did not favor standard exceptions on abortion in cases of rape and incest. As

4080-478: The use of synthetic cannabis . It was approved unanimously in both the house and the senate by both political parties. McDonnell's campaign also turned to transportation, a major issue in heavily congested areas of Virginia, advocating issuing $ 3 billion in transportation bonds that had been approved by the Virginia General Assembly in 2007, but not funded with a revenue source, modernizing

4148-497: The use of House chamber for McDonnell's speech did not comply with House Rule 82. After his election as governor, McDonnell shifted his fundraising activities to his "Opportunity Virginia PAC" which raised $ 1,194,934 through June 2010. Many of the donations came from industries regulated by the state. In April 2010, McDonnell renegotiated and extended a contract for outsourcing the state's computer operations to Northrop Grumman . At that time, McDonnell proposed legislation, which

SECTION 60

#1732787566358

4216-536: Was best represented by his 1995 welfare reform legislation where he "worked to include child day care in the bill so women would have greater freedom to work." McDonnell's campaign headquarters was located in Richmond. His campaign finance report for September 15, 2009, indicated that he had nearly 1,500 more new donors than the Deeds campaign had total donors, a total of 6,239 donors, and 4,946 of them were new. During

4284-539: Was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1991, defeating Democratic incumbent Glenn McClanan 53%–47%. He won re-election in 1993 against Thomas Carnes 64%–36%, and was unopposed in 1995, 1997, 2001, and 2003, serving seven terms. The 1999 election against the extremely popular challenger, Sheriff Frank Drew was then the most expensive State Delegate campaign in the history of Virginia. The combined cost of over $ 985,000 crushed previous records. He represented

4352-559: Was inaugurated as the 71st governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, succeeding Kaine as governor. This was the first inaugural ceremony to occur on the newly renovated steps of the Virginia State Capitol. In keeping with tradition, McDonnell signed executive orders after taking the oath. Instead of keeping with a 30-year practice by signing an executive order banning discrimination in state employment (which he later signed on February 5), McDonnell signed orders establishing

4420-493: Was named chairman of the Republican Governors Association . At the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans , McDonnell issued a proclamation designating April 2010 as " Confederate History Month" following similar designations by two of his Republican predecessors, George Allen (in 1995, 1996, and 1997) and James S. Gilmore , but unlike the two Democratic governors immediately preceding McDonnell, who did not designate such

4488-560: Was passed, to have the Virginia Information Technologies Agency report directly to the governor instead of to an independent board. Subsequently, McDonnell was criticized when the Northrup computer systems experienced a week-long computer outage from August 25 through September 2, 2010. As a result, 45,000 people were unable to renew their driver's licenses. Computer systems for nearly a third of

4556-405: Was suspected that McDonnell failed to comply with gift disclosure requirements over a $ 15,000 gift that a major campaign donor, Jonnie Williams Sr., made to cover the cost of catering for his daughter's wedding. McDonnell himself paid $ 8,000 towards the catering and a $ 3,500 refund for overpayment was returned to McDonnell, rather than to his daughter, potentially giving McDonnell a financial stake in

4624-540: Was the key issue of contention in the General Assembly. However, subsequently the package was declared unconstitutional based on a challenge filed by a Republican state senator. Prior to a performance of the Sex Workers' Art Show at the College of William and Mary in 2008, McDonnell forbade the sale of the group's books on school grounds. McDonnell took the side of defecting Northern Virginia Episcopalians in

#357642