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Virginia GOP Lawmakers Rebuff Governor's State Supreme Court Appointment

Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va)
official photo
Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Republicans are signaling their intent to remove Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's recent appointment to the state's highest court.

House Republicans have not invited Virginia Supreme Court Justice Jane Marum Roush to judicial interviews later this week. Matthew Moran, a spokesman for House Speaker William J. Howell, said Wednesday that Republicans have no plans to interview Roush at a later date.

Without an interview, Moran says House rules prohibit a vote to confirm Roush's appointment.

McAuliffe upset GOP leaders last year by not checking with them before appointing Roush, which they said was a breach in protocol. The General Assembly has the final say on Supreme Court appointments and refused to confirm Roush's appointment last August before McAuliffe temporarily reappointed her.

The governor said Wednesday Roush deserves to be confirmed.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.