RICHMOND — After a flurry of legislative action late Monday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin ultimately signed nearly 600 bills sent to him from the General Assembly. He amended 159 and vetoed 158. “Among the bills I have signed are proposals that will keep
school lunches free from artificial dyes , cement Virginia as home of the world’s first commercial nuclear fusion facility, expand rural electric co-ops’ ability to drive economic development, modernize school transportation to reverse chronic absenteeism, and give more students opportunities to take advanced math classes,” he said in a statement. “I have vetoed bills that I think will take the Commonwealth backward by raising the cost of living, hurting our strong job growth, stifling innovation, undermining our All-American All-of-the-Above Power and Energy Plan or making our communities less safe.” The governor has vetoed 400 bills during his four-year term, more than any governor in recent history. The General Assembly will reconvene next week to vote on the recommendations, which can be accepted with a simple majority. With a slim majority in both the House and the Senate, it’s unlikely Democrats will be able to muster the two-thirds majority required to overturn vetoes. “It’s a really bizarre style,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told reporters Tuesday. “It’s not conducive to finding compromise and getting good policy outcomes.”
Vetoed
Youngkin vetoed some familiar efforts the General Assembly
passed last year , including legislation that would have raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour and established a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. Youngkin vetoed
legislation proposed by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, that would have directed the Department of Energy to identify and develop training resources to advance workforce development in the offshore wind industry. The governor cited existing workforce development programs and, in general, what he categorized as rising costs and
declining interest in offshore wind . Youngkin also vetoed a bill that would have allowed localities under a court-ordered remedial election system to
convert at-large members into single member districts . That legislation was sponsored by lawmakers from Virginia Beach, where legal challenges led to
an overhaul of the city’s electoral process . Also on the chopping block were bills that would have established a
retail cannabis market and permitted
collective bargaining from public employees. Currently municipal workers can collectively bargain in Virginia only if they get permission from the city. Some Hampton Roads mayors are
joining forces to oppose collective bargaining efforts.
Amended
Youngkin suggested two changes to
a bill restricting police use of license plate readers and Flock Safety cameras: First, Youngkin said police should be allowed to store the amassed data for 30 days, up from 21 days in the bill. Second, the governor said a controversial expansion of Flock cameras to state roads — such as interstates and bridge-tunnels — should go into effect in July 2026 without a second vote by the General Assembly early next year. The governor’s recommendation for a
regulation on prospective data centers makes noise and environmental impact studies optional for localities and includes a reenactment clause, which means the General Assembly would have to pass the legislation again next year. Like last year, Youngkin
amended a bill that would require unconscious bias and cultural competency training for maternal health workers to be just two hours of training on populations with worse maternal health outcomes. That amendment did not pass last year, and the legislation was subsequently vetoed. Youngkin also followed the same playbook for
another repeat bill that would remove
tax exemptions for Confederate organizations . His recommendations this year included a reenactment clause and a call for the Department of Taxation to review the impact of the exemptions and report their findings in November. When similar recommendations were not adopted last year,
he vetoed the bill . Meanwhile, legislation
establishing a right to contraception , a legislative priority of Democrats this year, was recommended to include a provision that says physicians and employers can refuse to provide contraception based on religious or conscientious objection. Democrats said that was a gutting of the bill.
Signed
One bill that finally made it into law after years of effort would
close a campaign finance loophole . The legislation will ban Virginia political candidates from using campaign funds for personal use.
Legislation that will take effect this July included a law that will make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly let kids operate vehicles if doing so results in injury or death. Youngkin also signed a bill that will
create a Class 4 felony for anyone
operating a drone within a defense facility without authorization. And, as of July 1, the Virginia Lottery will be
prohibited from disclosing the names of winners who have won at least $1 million without consent.
Peter Dujardin contributed to this report.
