House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert issued the following statement:
“Any parent of a school-aged child in Virginia who saw today’s briefing by Governor Northam is probably livid right now, and they have every right to be. Earlier this month, the Governor rolled out a 100+ page ‘guidance’ document for the reopening of schools. Our local systems were mandated to comply with this guidance, and were told to submit their plans for approval.”
“Predictably, the Governor’s school reopening plan came up woefully short of being realistic, and parents and local school divisions are rightfully angry.
“Today, Governor Northam sent his Chief of Staff to the podium, ostensibly to help address any confusion. ‘Guidance is not law,’ he said, before blaming these unworkable plans on local school boards — even as the Govenor’s mandate appears to remain very much in place.
“Decorum prevents me from saying what I really think, but I will say this: If you need an example of incompetence and untruthfulness in one package, look no further than Governor Ralph Northam.”