Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) The latest issue to divide Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam in Virginia gubernatorial race: fireworks.
“We’ve got states on our border where a lot of Virginians go and buy those – West Virginia and Tennessee,” Gillespie told WMAL’s Larry O’Connor Show. “They’re spending their money there, and there’s jobs there.”
Gillespie, coinciding with the Independence Day holiday, is advocating for loosened laws around more serious fireworks like bottle rockets and Roman candles.
“It would be thousands of jobs too, and also tens of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue,” Gillespie said. “I’m looking for every chance we can find to create jobs in the Commonwealth.”
He said he would allow cities and counties the option to opt out of the law if they don’t want to participate.
Gillespie’s opponent, Democrat Ralph Northam, released a statement through his campaign: “Dr. Northam likes fireworks as much as anyone, but he also wants to make sure you can afford health care in case you accidentally blow your hand off with one.”
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTOS: Gillespie, Northam campaigns)
