Time is running out for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to take action on bills passed by the state’s General Assembly.
The deadline is less than a week away.
Youngkin’s office told WTOP he has vetoed 84 bills. On Tuesday alone, he vetoed four and signed 100 bills into law.
Among those bills going into law are measures that increase the penalty for what the state considers a hate crime.
In a statement released Tuesday, Youngkin said two of the signed bills “codify [the] recommendation … [that ensures] Jewish Virginians are protected from hate crimes,” and demonstrates his commitment to “combating antisemitism and religious bigotry.”
Key legislation that Youngkin has not yet taken action on include bills to establish a person’s right to access contraception and the state’s budget, which Youngkin said he would amend.
Last week, the governor vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities — bills that would have allowed the recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum-wage increase.
The vetoes, which drew criticism from Democrats who control the General Assembly, did not come as a surprise. While Youngkin had not explicitly threatened to veto either set of bills, he told reporters he didn’t think the minimum wage legislation was needed and had repeatedly said he was uninterested in setting up retail marijuana sales.
“States following this path have seen adverse effects on children’s and adolescent’s health and safety, increased gang activity and violent crime, significant deterioration in mental health, decreased road safety, and significant costs associated with retail marijuana that far exceed tax revenue. It also does not eliminate the illegal black-market sale of cannabis, nor guarantee product safety,” he said in a veto statement attached to the bills.
The governor has until Monday to take action on legislation passed by state lawmakers.
WTOP’s Thomas Robertson and Ciara Wells and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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