‘Tis the season for donations to flow to charities all over the Old Dominion, but Virginia’s state-funded donations to non-state charities are coming under scrutiny by those questioning whether such contributions are constitutionally prohibited. Gov. Bob McDonnell recently proposed donating $500,000 in state funding to both the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and the Norfolk-based Operation Smile, a group that provides free surgeries to children with cleft lip and other facial deformities.

The food banks received $1 million directly from the state each of the last two years, said Federation Executive Director Leslie Van Horn.

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