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Nation's Governors Meet In Virginia This Week

By: Rebecca Blatt // July 8, 2012
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Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack (left) and Gov. Bob McDonald (right) listen to opening remarks at the National Governors Association Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, February 26, 2012.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/6933826267/
Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack (left) and Gov. Bob McDonald (right) listen to opening remarks at the National Governors Association Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Virginia's Gov. Bob McDonnell is hosting the National Governors Association's annual summer meeting in Richmond Thursday through Saturday.

The schedule of events includes panel discussions on critical policy issues, but governors will also take in amusement parks and historic sites. A spokesman for McDonnell says no taxpayer money is involved. Most of the activities are paid for by big-name companies.

That gives major corporations up-close access to some of the nation's most powerful governmental chief executives.

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