Youngkin vetoes bills on marijuana sales, firearms, and the minimum wage

Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed numerous bills that had been Democratic priorities, including measures to establish a retail marijuana market, to increase the minimum wage, and to address gun violence.

In vetoing the marijuana bill, Youngkin cited concerns about children’s health and safety. Currently, Virginia allows adults to possess small amounts of marijuana, but the lack of a retail market has led to the growth of illicit sales.

The bill would have allowed Virginia to grant a limited number of licenses to retailers beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.

“Gov. Youngkin’s dismissive stance towards addressing Virginia’s cannabis sales dilemma is unacceptable,” the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Aaron Rouse (Virginia Beach) tweeted. “Public servants are obligated to tackle pressing issues. This legislation would have combated the illegal market and ensured access to safe, tested, and taxed cannabis products.”

Related story: Marijuana bill advances in the General Assembly

Youngkin vetoed a bill to increase the minimum wage from the current $12 an hour to  $13.50 on Jan. 1, 2025, and to $15 on Jan. 1, 2026.

Youngkin said the bills would “imperil market freedom and economic competitiveness.”

Sen. L. Louise Lucas (Portsmouth), the sponsor of the minimum wage bill in the Senate, called the veto “a direct affront to the hard-working individuals who keep Virginia moving forward.” She said the bill would have set “a standard that would affirm our commitment to the dignity of labor and the belief that everyone deserves a fair shot at economic stability.”

The General Assembly will meet on April 17 to reconsider legislation that Youngkin amended. At that time, legislators could also attempt to override Youngkin’s vetoes but that would require a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and House of Delegates. Democrats narrowly control both houses, making an override virtually impossible.

Younkin vetoed numerous bills aimed at curbing gun violence, including legislation that would have:

• Prohibited anyone under age 21 from purchasing a handgun or assault firearm.
• Required the storage of firearms in a locked container in a residence occupied by a minor or a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.
• Prohibited the carrying of assault firearms in public areas.
• Required the firearm industry to set standards and controls aimed at preventing the sale of guns to straw purchasers, firearm traffickers, and people believed to be at substantial risk of harming themselves or someone else.   
• Set a five-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms.
• Required the submission of fingerprints with an application for a concealed handgun permit.
• Strengthened the criteria a judge could consider in issuing a substantial risk order.
• Prohibited anyone convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor from purchasing or possessing an assault firearm for three years.
• Set a civil fine for leaving a firearm in an unattended vehicle.
• Prohibited firearms within 100 feet of a polling place.
• Prohibited anyone convicted of a misdemeanor for assault and battery or stalking from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
• Directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the social, physical, emotional, and economic health effects of gun violence.

Youngkin signed a bill prohibiting the manufacture, transfer, or possession of an auto sear, an illegal device that converts a firearm into an automatic weapon. He also signed a bill to prohibit parents from allowing a child who poses a credible threat of violence to access a firearm.