(SB494)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 494, which would make several changes to the governance of public institutions of higher education.

The Commonwealth's public institutions of higher education provide world-class educations and conduct groundbreaking research. Strengthening these institutions requires strong, effective governance across our colleges and universities, and recent challenges have demonstrated the importance of reinforcing governance structures and processes so that our institutions remain resilient and successfully advance their missions.

I offered amendments that would remove certain provisions that could further politicize our institutions of higher education and undermine the current efforts of my Administration and Boards to stabilize governance of the Commonwealth's universities. I also removed provisions that had no clear connection to addressing the challenges our boards have experienced in recent years. My amendments would have further clarified various timelines and processes for appointments to affirm the General Assembly's role and responsibility in confirming appointments.

While the General Assembly rejected my amendments, I remain committed to enacting reforms that will strengthen higher education governance in Virginia.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.