Virginia lawmakers take on China as ‘spy balloon’ raises tensions
A second mystery object has been shot from the sky over Alaska. The Pentagon will not confirm what it was nor where it came from. This comes on the heels of the Chinese spy balloon that crossed the U.S. last week and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina. Virginia lawmakers are considering legislation to keep China at a distance. Capital reporter Jackie DeVuzco has more on the update, new at 5.
30. A Chinese surveillance balloon. Shot down over the weekend after sweeping the United States. Now injecting new urgency into a bill banning apps with Chinese ties like TikTok and WeChat from state government devices in Virginia. This week sneaking through the Democrat-led state Senate. Us 20, nos 20. With a tie-breaking vote from the Lieutenant Governor.
The Chinese government is focused on finding out information about American government, state governments and citizens. It's important that we take steps to protect them. It became apparent to a larger group of people that the time is now for us to take action. Senator Ryan McDougal says it builds on a recent executive order from Governor Glenn Yonkin. But Senator Jennifer McClellan says the bill is inflexible and unnecessary. This is a feel-good bill that allows some people to send a brochure that says we got tough on Communist China. But it doesn't do anything that isn't already done.
Governor Yonkin debuting new tough on China talking points during his state of the Commonwealth address last month. Since becoming increasingly common. Made in Virginia cannot be a front for the Chinese Communist Party. Yonkin controversially stopping Virginia's effort to recruit a Ford plant partnering with a Chinese company, calling it a Trojan horse. Yonkin then urging the General Assembly to pass a bill banning foreign adversaries like China from acquiring Virginia's farmlands. Senator Pat Peterson says the legislation is overly broad and could hurt Virginia's economy. I'm no fan of the Chinese Communist government at all.
But to just simply say all agricultural land is off limits. Again, that to me is an overreach. I think we're denying what could be very helpful for in capital coming into our state. But despite that pushback, it does look like Governor Glenn Yonkin will get his way at this point. Both of those bills passed with bipartisan support in the Democrat-led state Senate and now face a friendlier environment in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. Reporting at the Capitol, I'm Jackie DeFusco.
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