Northam Signs Bills To Remove Byrd Statue, Spur Electric Vehicles

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed additional pieces of legislation into law this week, including a bill that boosts the sale of electric vehicles in the state and another that calls for the removal of a statue of Harry F. Byrd Sr. from Capitol Square in Richmond, the governor's office said Friday.

The signings come a week after the governor signed into law 80 new pieces of legislation from the busy 2021 General Assembly session.

“We are making tremendous progress on the issues that matter most to Virginians, from heath care and education to economic opportunity and our environment,” Northam said Friday in a statement.

Among the bills that Northam signed into law was House Bill 2208, sponsored by Del. Jay Jones (D-89th), which directs the state Department of General Services to remove the statue of Harry Byrd, Sr. from Capitol Square. Byrd, a former Virginia governor and U.S. states senator "was an avid segregationist and the architect of 'massive resistance,' a campaign to prevent public school desegregation in Virginia," according to the governor's statement.

The governor also signed House Bill 1965, sponsored by Del. Lamont Bagby (D-74th), which aims to reduce air pollution by requiring car manufactures to sell a certain percentage of electric or hybrid electric passenger cars. Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas pollution in Virginia, and this measure is supported by both automobile dealers and the environmental community, the governor's office said.

House Bill 2282, sponsored by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48th), also was signed by Northam. It directs the Virginia State Corporation Commission to report on policy proposals that will increase the use of electric vehicles.

Other notable bills that Northam signed into law this week were:

• House Bill 1854, sponsored by Del. Sullivan, authorizes Arlington County to rename Lee Highway, the county’s section of U.S. Route 29.
• House Bill 2130, sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th), establishes the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board to advise the governor on the economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmental links between the Commonwealth and the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia.
• House Bill 1879, sponsored by Del. David Bulova (D-37th), and Senate Bill 1299, sponsored by Sen. John Bell (D-13th), codifies Northam’s Executive Directive Ten and allows for delivery and take-out of alcoholic beverages until July 1, 2022. The legislation also directs the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to broadly study the issue and provide a report to the General Assembly by Nov. 1, 2021.
• Senate Bill 1097, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31st), removes the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots during a declared public health emergency. This law also directs the Department of Elections to evaluate alternatives to witness signatures in verifying the integrity of absentee ballots.

A list of legislation signed by Northam from the 2021 session is available on the General Assembly's website.