Free Republic

RICHMOND – Gov. Bob McDonnell is clipping Big Bird's wings. McDonnell has used his line-item veto authority to cut state funding for public broadcasting, calling it “a smart, practical budgeting decision to make Virginia government smaller and more efficient and save taxpayer dollars.” McDonnell’s veto will reduce the funding that lawmakers had approved for educational programming and radio reading services by $424,000, or about 16 percent, in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Gov. Bill Owens is weighing in on the debate over an artist given a $5000 state fellowship grant after viewing her work of art depicting sex toys on hooks. "Obviously, this is offensive and in extremely poor taste," said Governor Owens who couldn't view the piece himself, but had it described to him by staffers. The Governor is in Washington D.C. attending an awards ceremony for the University of Northern Colorado Business School. The artist, Tsehai Johnson of Denver, received a Fellowship from the Colorado Council of the Arts in 2003. The work originally titled "Twelve [term for specific sex...