RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe has vetoed legislation aimed at limiting police storage of automatic license plate reader data. The governor said Friday he was vetoing the legislation because it could jeopardize public safety. Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed several measures with support from lawmakers across the political spectrum aiming to rein in police surveillance on citizens. The vetoed bill would have limited to seven days how long police could keep data collected by automatic license plate readers, as long as the information is not part of an investigation. McAuliffe tried to amend the bill last month to make it 60 days, but lawmakers rejected those efforts. The Virginia Sheriffs’ Association cheered McAuliffe’s veto, while civil liberty advocates blasted the move.
