Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is vetoing a controversial measure that would have required schools to notify parents when teachers planned to use “sexually explicit materials." It’s an effort that began when a Fairfax County parent got upset because her child was reading Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer-prize winning Beloved.
That parent contacted her member of the House of Delegates, who went into action and began crafting legislation.
That bill passed the House and Senate. But now Governor Terry McAuliffe is vetoing the bill, explaining that this is a decision for local school boards.
Delegate Alfonso Lopez, a Democrat from Arlington, agrees. “The localities have the power to make these decisions already, and we should not be having a one-size-fits-all approach for the entire state when it comes to defining what’s appropriate," says Lopez.
Delegate Dave Albo, a Republican from Springfield, says school board have the authority to notify parents. But that doesn’t mean they use it in all cases, including the constituent who contacted him. He says, “I just think this is just ludicrous that someone would think that a teacher should be able to assign a book with a scene of bestiality and not notify the parents."
A two-thirds majority would be needed in both the House and the Senate would be needed to overturn the veto, which seems unlikely because the Senate approved the bill with a 22 to 17 vote.
