Summoning the lyric of an old gospel song, state Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, this evening urged Gov. Bob McDonnell to "go the last mile of the way" and send the General Assembly a bill that codifies sexual orientation as part of the state's anti-discrimination policy.
There is still time, he said, for the legislature to act before its adjournment, scheduled for Saturday.
"It's time to go the last mile of the way, governor," McEachin, a lawyer and ordained minister, told colleagues on the floor of the Senate at the close of the proceedings. "Our children are calling us. History is calling us."
McEachin recounted the events of the past week, during which opposition at Virginia's colleges and universities coalesced in protests by more than a thousand students and faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University.
They mobilized against an opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, which stated that the schools could not include sexual orientation in their discrimination policies because the General Assembly had not authorized them to do so.
Cuccinelli had said earlier in the week that the opinion was sent at the request of several of the institutions, and simply restated the same legal position that had been taken by five previous attorney generals.
Senate Bill 66, introduced by McEachin, attempted to codify gays as a protected class in state hiring and employment, but was dumped by a House of Delegates committee.
Facing increasing pressure, McDonnell on Wednesday issued what was termed an "executive directive" that stated in broad terms that the state would not discriminate. It was unclear, however, whether the directive, sent to state workers, would carry the force of law.
McEachin and civil-rights and gay-rights groups praised McDonnell's efforts, but said more could be done.
"We can do better than that on this issue . . . this very critical issue," McEachin said.
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