Gov. Northam: We Need To Get People off the Roads into Other Means of Transportation

AVLON And joining me ░░░░░░░░ is Virginia s Democratic ░░░░░░░░ Ralph Northam Governor Northam ░░░░░░░░ for joining us on ░░░░░░░░ Day Tell us what ░░░░░░░░ contents of this bill ░░░░░░░░ and why you felt ░░░░░░░░ to push it forward ░░░░░░░░ Good morning and I ░░░░░░░░ you and your viewers ░░░░░░░░ doing well And just ░░░░░░░░ you mentioned a lot ░░░░░░░░ states are trying to ░░░░░░░░ it more difficult to ░░░░░░░░ We know that voting ░░░░░░░░ really the foundation the ░░░░░░░░ of our democracy And ░░░░░░░░ we signed some laws ░░░░░░░░ the last couple of ░░░░░░░░ I just signed another ░░░░░░░░ most recently opening up ░░░░░░░░ making it less cumbersome ░░░░░░░░ 45 days of no ░░░░░░░░ absentee voting We have ░░░░░░░░ boxes So Virginia has ░░░░░░░░ the approach that we ░░░░░░░░ to make it less ░░░░░░░░ And this is a ░░░░░░░░ issue just as you ░░░░░░░░ mentioned and I would ░░░░░░░░ businesses take a look ░░░░░░░░ we re doing in ░░░░░░░░ We are open for ░░░░░░░░ That s one of ░░░░░░░░ reasons why Virginia is ░░░░░░░░ number one state in ░░░░░░░░ country in which to ░░░░░░░░ business and businesses recognize ░░░░░░░░ and I say welcome ░░░░░░░░ Virginia and I want ░░░░░░░░ introduce you to the ░░░░░░░░ talented workforce in America ░░░░░░░░ Well it s important ░░░░░░░░ you re taking the ░░░░░░░░ step expanding access prohibiting ░░░░░░░░ and restrictions and it ░░░░░░░░ a powerful counterexample particularly ░░░░░░░░ a southern governor Obviously ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden in Pennsylvania ░░░░░░░░ Pittsburgh laying out his ░░░░░░░░ more than 2 trillion ░░░░░░░░ plan And you recently ░░░░░░░░ an event with Transportation ░░░░░░░░ Buttigieg about the infrastructure ░░░░░░░░ highlighting the impact of ░░░░░░░░ rail particularly for Virginia ░░░░░░░░ Americans love their cars ░░░░░░░░ know Virginians do There ░░░░░░░░ always a question outside ░░░░░░░░ northeast how much folks ░░░░░░░░ use their public transportation ░░░░░░░░ the rail lines Tell ░░░░░░░░ what impact that could ░░░░░░░░ on improving people s ░░░░░░░░ and business climate in ░░░░░░░░ if it goes forward ░░░░░░░░ Well first of all ░░░░░░░░ it s great to ░░░░░░░░ a partner in Washington ░░░░░░░░ believes in infrastructure and ░░░░░░░░ and really takes care ░░░░░░░░ their words with actions ░░░░░░░░ we ve been working ░░░░░░░░ this for a number ░░░░░░░░ years Again we know ░░░░░░░░ it s very important ░░░░░░░░ our business community And ░░░░░░░░ we made an announcement ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Pete two days ░░░░░░░░ where we really opened ░░░░░░░░ rail expanded rail through ░░░░░░░░ public private relationship with ░░░░░░░░ and CSX There s ░░░░░░░░ bridge coming across the ░░░░░░░░ River called the long ░░░░░░░░ where all the rail ░░░░░░░░ up and down the ░░░░░░░░ coast has to go ░░░░░░░░ s a bottleneck So ░░░░░░░░ re adding new tracks ░░░░░░░░ that area We re ░░░░░░░░ freight from passenger rail ░░░░░░░░ again this will really ░░░░░░░░ things up And the ░░░░░░░░ is that yes people ░░░░░░░░ love their cars but ░░░░░░░░ need to have other ░░░░░░░░ We can t pour ░░░░░░░░ out of our transportation ░░░░░░░░ So we need to ░░░░░░░░ people off the roads ░░░░░░░░ other means of transportation ░░░░░░░░ this was a really ░░░░░░░░ day for Virginia And ░░░░░░░░ think that our president ░░░░░░░░ rail as a priority ░░░░░░░░ really going to help ░░░░░░░░ well AVLON Let me ░░░░░░░░ about something else here ░░░░░░░░ forward an amendment to ░░░░░░░░ up the date where ░░░░░░░░ would be legalized in ░░░░░░░░ state of Virginia This ░░░░░░░░ something happening across the ░░░░░░░░ There are 15 states ░░░░░░░░ legalizing recreational marijuana.”