Youngkin vetos many more bills than any other Virginia governor
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed 201 bills that were passed by the General Assembly this year, which is much more than any Virginia previous governor.
The Republican governor’s vetoes block legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly on gun violence, abortion, clean energy, and much more.
One of the recent bills vetoed by Youngkin would have codified in state law the right to obtain and use contraception.
The legislation’s sponsors, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) and Del. Marcia “Cia” Price (D-Newport News), issued a joint statement noting that there is widespread support in Virginia for the right to use contraception and more than 37,000 petitions were delivered to Youngkin urging support for their bill.
“By vetoing our legislation,” they said, “Gov. Youngkin is now on the record agreeing with the extremists in his party – including Donald Trump – who conflate contraception with abortion.”
Other key bills vetoed by Youngkin would have:
- Regulated untraceable homemade “ghost guns” assembled from kits that can be acquired without a background check.
- Prohibited firearms in any facility that provides mental health services, including hospitals and emergency rooms.
- Required school boards to notify parents annually of their responsibility to safely store firearms in their homes.
- Banned assault weapons.
- Required a five-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms so the seller can obtain a criminal history record.
- Shielded abortion providers from extradition to other states where abortion is illegal.
- Created a Clean Energy Innovation Bank to use federal funds to provide loans for renewable energy projects.
- Eliminated the state tax exemption for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Confederate Memorial Literary Society, and Stonewall Jackson Memorial Inc.
- Banned the issuance of license plates commemorating the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Gen. Robert E. Lee.
- Legalized gambling machines known as “skill games” in restaurants and convenience stores.
- Created a legal retail market for marijuana.
- Raised the minimum wage to $13.50 an hour next year and to $15 in 2026.
- Created a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
4 responses to “Youngkin vetos many more bills than any other Virginia governor”
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Thank you, Governor Youngkin!
I don’t agree with all of these bills or the veto of all of them. However, when the legislature is controlled by one party, and executive by another (or vice versa), to get something enacted into law requires working together and finding a compromise. Otherwise we get far more “messaging” bills to the parties political bases – which in this case resulted in more vetos. I prefer compromise with something that most folks can tolerate, ideally with advancement involving practical solutions. But neither party in politics seems to be willing to do that – in Richmond or Washington DC. Keep in mind VA is both a big state with many different views on these bills (and others) – just as our is country. When one party controls both legislative and executive branches is where things go more to the extreme and creates much greater potential for blowback such that it “swings” elections and laws – effectively whiplash and resentment. It ok to agree to disagree but not to be disagreeable, while working together on what can be achieved – to do this we need less messaging bills and leaders that are willing to work together (despite their differences) early and often.
He’s a Trumpster and a right-wing fanatic owned by the NRA.
He wants a job with Trump. The worst Governor we have ever had.