I was recently called upon to make a constitutional ruling on a piece of legislation. And frankly, it would have been good for my campaign if I could have ruled in favor of the proposal. But after a week of careful study and consultation with many experts in constitutional law and parliamentary procedure, I was convinced that the proposal was unconstitutional. I thought about Caldwell, faced with a vote that was sure to be unpopular with the party. In the end, I simply could not go up to the podium in the Senate, before 40 Senators and all of you who elected me to uphold the laws and constitution of Virginia, and do something that I believed to be unconstitutional.
Integrity is more important.
Thank you, Caldwell, for setting such a fine example for all of us. Thank you for your service to the Commonwealth. Thank you for your wit and your intellect. Thank you for your friendship. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to recognize the contributions of June Butler.