RICHMOND (WINA) – The House of Delegates Thursday followed state Senate action earlier this week, and confirmed controversial Governor Youngkin pick Bert Ellis to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors. The House extracted Ellis’ name from the rest of Governor Youngkin’s board appointees and voted separately. While the rest of the slate was passed by the House unanimously, the Ellis approval went along party lines.

With Fairfax Democrat Chap Petersen joining a unanimous Republican vote, the State Senate earlier this week confirmed Ellis. That overturned approval in a Senate committee of Charlottesville Democratic Senator Creigh Deeds’ effort to remove his name from the slate.

Deeds argued Ellis’ showing up on the Lawn with a razor blade to cut down a student’s poster he found offensive is testament he should not be on the BOV. However, Harrisonburg Republican Senator Mark Obenshain argued while one may draw conclusions about the wisdom of showing up on the Lawn three years ago like Ellis did, the fact of the matter is he did nothing after he knocked on the door of the resident and no one answered. Obenshain pointed out two student ambassadors working on behalf of UVa Police talked to him and urged him not to do anything, and Ellis just left.