Fact checks: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2017
Virginia held an election for governor on November 7, 2017. Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D), former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie (R), and patent attorney Cliff Hyra (L) ran for the open seat.
Ballotpedia has fact-checked the following claims involving candidates in Virginia's 2017 gubernatorial election.
Ed Gillespie on universal background checks
At a recent debate between Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Ralph Northam (D) and Ed Gillespie (R) were given an opportunity to question one another. Lt. Gov. Northam, who called himself an "advocate for responsible gun ownership," asked Gillespie, "Do you support universal background checks in the Commonwealth of Virginia?" Gillespie prefaced his response by stating, "As you know, there are universal background checks."[1]
Is that correct? Has Virginia enacted universal background checks for firearms purchases?
No. Virginia law provides for voluntary background checks in private transactions only at gun shows, whereas the term universal background check typically refers to a mandatory background check in firearms transactions between private parties.[2] Federal law requires a background check for transactions involving a federally licensed dealer.[3][4]
Ralph Northam on Virginia pipelines
Ralph Northam has faced criticism for not opposing the construction of natural gas pipelines in the state.[5] Referring to the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) during a gubernatorial debate on July 22, Northam said, "At the end of the day, this is a federal project. It comes from West Virginia, goes through Virginia, into North Carolina so we can do everything that we can in Virginia to make it safe and transparent, but at the end of the day, FERC will make that final decision—the energy review commission—and so I support all of that process."[1]
Is Northam correct in claiming that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) makes the final decisions on interstate pipelines?
No. FERC's approval is necessary for interstate natural gas pipelines, but such projects also require permits from state regulatory agencies.[6][7] A permit denial from a state may be challenged in federal court by the applicant, but FERC cannot reverse a state’s permit decision or allow a project to move forward without permit approvals from the state.[8]
Ed Gillespie on Virginia's economy
During the first Virginia gubernatorial debate, GOP candidate Ed Gillespie and Democratic candidate Ralph Northam disagreed on the strength of the state's economy. Gillespie claimed, "Too many Virginians are working part time who want to work full time. We hit a 10-year low in labor force participation rate last year...and since the Lieutenant Governor [Northam] was first elected to the General Assembly 10 years ago, we have shed 69,000 manufacturing jobs. We're trading out high-paying jobs for low-paying jobs."[9]
Gillespie is correct that Virginia’s labor force participation rate was at a 10-year low in 2016.[10] He is incorrect that the state lost 69,000 manufacturing jobs since Northam's election in 2007.[11] According to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, involuntary part-time workers comprised 3.5 percent of the state’s workforce (148,600 people) in the second quarter of 2017 compared to 4.6 percent (187,300) in the second quarter of 2010.[12] Virginia’s median household income increased 1.3 percent between 2010 and 2015 (the most recent available data).[13]
Does Ed Gillespie's tax plan include spending cuts?
During an April 13 debate between three Republican candidates in the Virginia gubernatorial primary, Corey Stewart criticized Ed Gillespie's tax plan, claiming that it “doesn't cut a single nickel in spending.”[1]
Gillespie’s tax plan does not detail specific spending cuts, though it does include “cutting wasteful spending” among its proposals.[14] However, a tax plan is distinct from a budget plan that would address both tax revenue and spending levels. Gillespie subsequently released a plan to improve government efficiency that included details on spending cuts.[15]
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 C-Span, "Virginia Gubernatorial Debate," October 9, 2017 (52:05) Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "claim" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "claim" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Virginia's Legislative Information System, "Code of Virginia - § 54.1-4201.2. Firearm transactions by persons other than dealers; voluntary background checks.," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ The background check involves submitting information completed by the buyer or transferee on the ATF Form 4473 to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (administered by the FBI) to determine whether he or she is eligible to purchase a firearm. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, "Firearms Transaction Record (Form 4473)," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Congress, "Text: H.R.1025 — 103rd Congress (1993-1994)," accessed October 13, 2017
- ↑ NBC29, "Ralph Northam Faces Pressure from Protesters for Pipeline Views," July 15, 2017
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas and Crude Oil: Federal and State Regulatory Authority," March 28, 2016
- ↑ Energy.gov, "Title 15 - Commerce and Trade, Chapter 15B - Natural Gas," accessed August 14, 2017
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email communication with FERC spokesperson Tamara Young-Allen," August 21, 2017
- ↑ YouTube, "Virginia Gubernatorial Debate 2017," July 22, 2017 35:00
- ↑ United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Statewide Data: Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, seasonally adjusted," accessed August 4, 2017
- ↑ United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "State and Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings: Virginia, Statewide, Manufacturing," accessed August 4, 2017
- ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, "Labor Underutilization by State: Virginia," accessed August 7, 2017
- ↑ United States Census Bureau American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, "Income in the past 12 months," accessed August 7, 2017
- ↑ Ed Gillespie 2017 campaign website, “Cutting Taxes for All Virginians Plan,” March 2017
- ↑ Ed Gillespie 2017 campaign website, “Ed Gillespie Releases 'Efficiency + Effectiveness: A Government that Works for All Virginians' Plan,” May 10, 2017
