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25-03-2025
- Business
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Governor unleashes veto storm to drown progressive legislation
Ahead of his Monday night deadline to act on bills from the 2025 General Assembly session, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced his budget amendments at a press conference in Richmond Monday morning. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) In the final year of his tenure, Gov. Glenn Youngkin carried out his duty to sign, veto and amend hundreds of bills handed to him by the Democratic-controlled legislature for the last time Monday, rejecting a proposal to raise the minimum wage incrementally to $15 per hour, a multiple-year attempt to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board and several voter registration and election measures. Youngkin also signed into law a bill that classifies fusion as a clean energy source, one that expands maternal health care access and a bill banning the personal use of political campaign funds, the most significant campaign finance reform measure the state has passed in years. Youngkin vetoes minimum wage hike, prescription affordability board bills 'The legislation that I've signed into law and the budget amendments I've put forward this year will go a long way to helping ensure Virginia remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family,' Youngkin stated in a news release announcing his actions. 'And 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,' Youngkin added, relaying his thanks to legislators for their work during the General Assembly session. With the action deadline Monday night at 11:59 p.m., much of Youngkin's actions were still trickling onto Virginia's Legislative Information System website well into Tuesday. Though still digesting some of what he'd seen by 11:30 a.m., Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, participated in a virtual press gathering to relay his thoughts. Surovell said during his 16 years as a lawmaker, governors typically call legislative leaders to discuss amendments in the period between when session ends and their action deadline begins. This is done sometimes in lieu of some vetoes, Surovell said, and in other instances, representatives from the governor's administration have been more actively engaged in the committee process during session. But when it comes to the Youngkin administration, Surovell claimed, 'the first time a member finds out they got a problem with the bill is usually when the veto drops, or when the amendment drops.' It's also part of why he thinks Youngkin has a higher veto count than other governors have had. The governor issued a record 201 bills from the 2024 General Assembly session, according to the Virginia Public Access Project,'more legislation than any recent Governor of Virginia has in their full four-year term.' Here are some of the key bills the governor signed, vetoed and amended this year. No more personal use of campaign funds House Bill 2165 by Del. Josh Cole, D-Fredricksburg, and Senate Bill 1002 by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, prohibits the personal use of campaign funds. Youngkin's signature marks a victory for Boysko, who has been a key champion for campaign finance reform over the years. Though lawmakers have tried numerous times to address campaign finance reform, their efforts over the past decade have never borne fruit. A subcommittee established to study the issue never held a meeting in 2022 and campaign finance bills to limit contribution amounts failed in 2023. This year a bill by Del. Mike Jones, D-RIchmond, would have directed a state research agency to study potential gaps in campaign finance enforcement, but it failed in the legislature. Jones plans to try again on that bill, meanwhile Cole's and Boysko's successful bill represents a breakthrough in overall reform on the issue in Virginia. Their bills cleared with overwhelming bipartisan support and Republican co-patrons on the House version. Fusion officially classified as a clean energy source Virginia is expanding its definition of clean energy to include fusion power under a bill approved by the General Assembly that Youngkin signed into law. HB 1779, sponsored by Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, updates state law to classify fusion energy as a form of 'carbon-free' or 'clean' energy. The change means fusion will now be recognized alongside other non-carbon-emitting sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal, and nuclear power. Under the legislation, 'clean energy' refers to electricity generated from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide during production. The inclusion of fusion — a technology still in development for commercial use — signals Virginia's intent to stay ahead of emerging energy innovations as the state transitions toward a lower-carbon grid. Special health plan enrollment for pregnancy HB 2083 by Del. Irene Shin, D-Fairfax, was among several signed or amended bills aimed at improving maternal health outcomes. Shin's bill requires the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange to establish a special enrollment period for qualifying pregnant people. A survey the state conducted last year showed long wait times for new enrollees' paperwork to be processed. This contributed to delayed access to care for people to schedule their appointments. Military tuition program update The governor signed a proposal on Monday to address the rising costs of the Virginia Military Survivors & Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP). The state initiative provides college tuition waivers for spouses and children of permanently disabled military veterans or those killed in action. HB 1694, sponsored by Del. Alex Askew, D-Virginia Beach, will address the rising cost of the VMSDEP by directing the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) to provide a detailed data report on the program to lawmakers. The report will include the number of eligible survivors and dependents who qualify for tuition and mandatory fee waivers as well as an estimate of how many qualified beneficiaries who are currently enrolled at each public institution as of Nov. 1 during the fall semester. According to SCHEV, the program's annual cost increased to $65 million in 2023 from $19 million in 2019. Steeper penalties for unauthorized drone activity The governor agreed to a proposal that stipulates a Class 4 felony charge for people who operate uncrewed aerial vehicles in areas to obtain video or photos without authorization. HB 1726, Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, will also protect the property owner or operator of a contracted defense facility and its employees from criminal prosecution and civil liability should they need to act if an aircraft system enters the property, as long as their action doesn't result in injury to any person. Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, who carried the companion bill in the Senate, and Price proposed new measures in response to national security concerns that arose when a Chinese national citizen was discovered illegally operating a drone over ship repair yards in Newport News on January 5, 2024, according to court records obtained by the Virginian-Pilot. The Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval base. Class 4 felony offenses carry a jail sentence of two to 10 years and $100,000 fine. Privacy protection for retired law enforcement officers The governor supported a proposal to protect retired and former law enforcement officers from having their names published publicly. HB 1874, carried by Del. Rozia Henson, D-Woodbridge, amends state law by adding retired or former law-enforcement officers to the definition of 'public official' for the purposes of prohibiting their names and personal information from being published on the internet. Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, carried a similar bill in the Senate. In both versions of the bill, the retired or former law-enforcement officer must be in 'good standing' with no pending investigations or disciplinary actions. Retired and former officers can request a court to keep their information private, according to the legislation. The privacy measure will last for four years, provided that such officer was retired or ended their service within four years of filing a petition with a circuit court. Job search help for formerly incarcerated people Formerly incarcerated people can have a little extra help in landing a job after they're released, now that Youngkin signed laws to give them that boost. HB 1759 by Del. Debra Gardner, D-Chesterfield, and Senate Bill 877 by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, directs the Department of Corrections and Department of Workforce Development and Advancement to team up on job search assistance. A pilot program already exists, and the proposals from Gardner and Ebbin would codify it into state law. While presenting the bill earlier this year, Gardner said that from September to December 2024, the pilot helped over 1,500 people — making them more likely to become self-sufficient, less likely to reoffend and less reliant on public financial assistance. The bill is among a slate of proposals aimed at helping current and formerly incarcerated people this legislative session, others of which aren't fully law yet as Youngkin is seeking amendments before he signs them. Plastic bag tax bagged The governor rejected a proposal sponsored by Del. Marty Martinez, D-Loudoun, which would have amended the state law directing counties to allocate a percentage of the plastic bag tax collected to towns within the county that have imposed a sales tax. 'Plastic bag taxes fail to achieve their intended goals and burden Virginians with higher prices at the grocery store,' Youngkin said in a statement. 'Redirecting tax revenues to towns may further encourage governments to rely on these taxes, exacerbating the issue.' In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that authorized any locality in Virginia to impose a tax of five cents per bag on disposable plastic bags provided to customers by convenience stores, drug stores, and grocery stores. The local sales tax distribution formula would have determined the town appropriations. Under current law, all revenues can be used for environmental cleanup, providing education programs designed to reduce environmental waste, mitigating pollution and litter, or providing reusable bags to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) benefits. Voter registration and elections proposals blocked Youngkin vetoed a proposal that would have aligned Virginia's primary elections for state and local offices with the presidential primary in election years, rejecting a proposal aimed at simplifying the voting calendar and increasing turnout. HB 1794, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, passed both chambers with bipartisan support. The measure would have required that all primaries for offices to be filled in the November general election during presidential years take place on the same day as the presidential primary — typically in early March. The bill also would have allowed candidates running in those years to begin collecting petition signatures before Jan. 1 and adjusted campaign finance reporting deadlines to accommodate the earlier schedule. Supporters argued the measure would modernize and streamline Virginia's election process. But Youngkin said the proposal would create unnecessary confusion and unequal treatment for candidates depending on the timing of their election cycle. 'By creating different filing deadlines for candidates depending on whether their election falls in a presidential or nonpresidential year, this bill increases the risk of missed deadlines, ballot access issues, and campaign finance compliance errors,' the governor said in his veto explanation. 'Candidates with general elections during presidential years would have to collect petitions, file ballot access documents, and file campaign finance reports on a schedule different from candidates with general elections during non-presidential years. The legislation was identical to Senate Bill 1119. HB 2002, sponsored by Del. Amy Laufer, D-Albemarle, sought to ensure that, aside from a written request from the voter, local election officials could only cancel a voter's registration based on information provided by the Virginia Department of Elections or another state agency approved by the State Board of Elections. Supporters of the bill said it was aimed at preventing erroneous or premature removals from the voter rolls, and ensuring that only verified, official sources could be used to make such decisions. But Youngkin said the bill would create unnecessary limitations and impede registrars from doing their jobs effectively. 'Virginia's voter registration system is nationally recognized for its accuracy and security,' Youngkin said in a statement explaining his veto. 'General registrars rely on a range of verified sources, including the Virginia Department of Elections and the Virginia Department of Health, while also using obituaries and family reports to confirm voter deaths. This bill eliminates those effective tools, making it harder to maintain accurate voter rolls and creating unnecessary bureaucratic barriers.' Youngkin further rejected a bill aimed at tightening how the Virginia Department of Elections processes voter registration data, arguing it would reduce the accuracy of voter rolls and weaken the role of local election officials. HB 2276, introduced by Price, would have required that specific identification information be included in any list or record submitted to the Department of Elections for the purpose of maintaining the state's voter registration list. The measure also mandated that the department compare these records to the state's list of registered voters and assign each potential match a 'confidence score.' Only matches scoring at least 80 points would be forwarded to local general registrars for further action. Price's proposal came on the heels of a federal lawsuit against Virginia, alleging that a state program aimed at removing people from the voter rolls, which Youngkin touted in an executive order in August, was implemented too close to the Nov. 5 elections and wrongfully included eligible voters. Supporters of Price's legislation said it would help ensure more accurate and verified matches before voter registrations are canceled, aiming to avoid mistaken removals and promote transparency in list maintenance procedures. Youngkin, however, said the proposal overlooked a more fundamental issue: the reliability of the underlying data itself. In his veto statement, he argued that raising the match threshold to 80 points would reduce the number of voter record matches sent to registrars, ultimately hindering the cancellation of outdated or invalid registrations. 'Raising the matching threshold to 80 points reduces the number of list maintenance data matches provided to general registrars, limiting necessary cancellations and reducing voter roll accuracy,' Youngkin said. The governor also objected to the bill's provision that would centralize all voter data matching within the Department of Elections, rather than allowing local registrars to investigate potential discrepancies. He warned that the change would diminish local control and oversight. 'By centralizing all matching within ELECT, registrars lose the ability to research potential discrepancies, weakening local election oversight,' he said. Collective bargaining SB 917 by Surrovell and HB 2764 by Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, would have expanded on a 2020 law that permits local government employees in Virginia to opt into collective bargaining if their localities allow it. While some jurisdictions — like Alexandria, Loudoun County and the city of Richmond — have adopted bargaining rights, public employees in areas without such ordinances remain without a seat at the table. The proposals from Surovell and Tran were among other also-vetoed bills meant to help workers like raising the minimum wage and paid sick leave. Surovell said it was 'disappointing' to see these vetoes. 'I think there's been a lot of talk amongst conservatives lately about focusing on affordability,' Surovell said. 'That's exactly what we did this session, and the governor basically stuck (up) a finger.' A rental grace period Under current Virginia law, landlords have a five day waiting period after rent is due before they can notify tenants they intend to evict them for not paying rent. SB 812 by Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach and HB 1719, also by Price, would have extended that grace period to 14 days. The reasoning for the proposed extension, housing advocates have said, is that tenants who have fallen behind may be more likely to have had a payday by then and be more likely to make up their rental payment. Several housing-related bills this session sparked a clash over local and state roles in housing policy. While this proposal cleared the legislature to make it to Youngkin's desk, it did so because of Democrats' majority in both chambers. Addressing racial bias in appraisals Last summer a Virginia Beach house sale gone awry made national news when it was revealed that a condo's owner backed out of a sale when learning that her buyer was a Black woman. But racial bias also affects sellers in Virginia, a survey conducted in Richmond last year revealed. According to the report, the average home appraises for around $436,000 in majority white neighborhoods, in juxtaposition to $256,000 where people of color are the majority of residents. But some Black-owned homes have never had equitable assessments in the first place due to the nation's history of racist housing policies. In the 1930s, appraisers lined Black-populated neighborhoods nationwide in red and deemed them 'hazardous' areas for home loans. The effects can still be present today, the report shows, because each past appraisal became the basis for future appraisals. Additionally, the report notes human bias as another factor for disparity in home appraisals. This is when appraisers overlook comparable homes with different racial demographics or allow personal prejudice to prevent them from making objective consideration of a home's attributes. HB 1693 by Askew and SB 995 by Sen. Angela Williams Graves, D-Norfolk, would have required applicants for real estate appraisers to complete a minimum of two hours of education on fair housing and appraisal bias. It also would have subjected the course to be annually audited by the Fair Housing Board. In his veto explanation, Youngkin deemed their bills unnecessary because a similar bill, with no required audits, had been enacted in 2022. Employee protections Youngkin rejected a proposal to hold employers accountable for failing to pay their employees. HB 2561, carried by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, would have made employers liable if they failed to pay the minimum wage or overtime wages due to an employee. While the legislation aims to enhance worker protections, Youngkin wrote in his veto statement that the proposal imposes 'excessive liabilities' and 'compliance burdens' that will negatively harm Virginia's business climate. Youngkin added that with Lopez's bill extending the timeframe for filing wage and misclassification claims, it would allow for collective lawsuits and remove key legal protections for businesses acting in good faith. Additionally, the governor wrote that the bill would move Virginia away from federal Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines, which he says would create 'regulatory hurdles' for current and future businesses in the Commonwealth. 'To maintain Virginia's pro-business environment and continue attracting employers and investment, it is essential to reject policies that create legal uncertainty and impose excessive penalties,' Youngkin wrote. 'This bill would make Virginia one of the most punitive states for wage violations, discouraging business growth and job creation.' Sales tax for school construction A proposal that would have allowed all localities to impose a 1% sales tax for school construction also met its death at Youngkin's veto pen. Youngkin agreed there is a need to to support school construction, but said the proposed plan could result in an annual tax increase of nearly $1.5 billion for Virginians. In response to that need, Youngkin proposed an additional $50 million for school construction grants and loans above the current biennial budget, bringing the total to $610 million, if adopted. The governor said the commonwealth should pursue other tax proposals rather than authorizing all counties and cities to levy an additional local sales and use tax to fund public services. 'The commonwealth should pursue a tax policy that unleashes economic development and prioritizes job and wage growth through innovative reforms,' Youngkin said. 'These reforms must allow hardworking Virginians to keep more of their money, not less; any proposal that increases the cost of living and the cost of business is not a policy we should pursue.' The governor also excluded the proposal in his budget amendments published on Monday after reviewing the amendments passed by the General Assembly. Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, the patron of the bill, reacted to the veto on X, formerly Twitter, stating that 'Less than a week after Trump announced the dismantling of the Department of Education, which will be devastating for (Virginia) school funding, Governor Youngkin just vetoed SB 1307, blocking local communities from even having the choice to invest in school construction and renovation through a local referendum. … This governor is out of touch.' Automatic license plate readers Youngkin has amended a bill governing the use of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems, extending the data retention period from 21 to 30 days. The change gives law enforcement agencies more time to utilize collected data, while still requiring it to be deleted after that period. HB 2724, sponsored by Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, aims to regulate the use of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems in Virginia. The legislation requires the Division of Purchases and Supply within the Department of General Services to approve any ALPR systems used in the state. It also sets strict limits on how these systems can be deployed by law enforcement. Under the bill, ALPR technology can only be used for specific purposes: conducting criminal investigations where there is reasonable suspicion of a violation, investigating cases involving missing or endangered persons (including issuing alerts or addressing human trafficking), and receiving notifications about stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, or individuals with outstanding warrants. The legislation further includes penalties for law enforcement agencies that violate these guidelines. Data centers Youngkin amended HB 1601, sponsored by Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, tweaking how localities handle the approval process for new high-energy use facilities (HEUFs), or data centers. Originally, the bill required applicants to submit a site assessment before rezoning or special use permits could be approved, examining the impact of the facility's sound profile on nearby residential units and schools. Youngkin's amendment now makes this site assessment optional for localities, allowing them to decide whether to require it. Additionally, the amended bill allows localities to examine the potential effects of the facility on other environmental factors, including water resources, agricultural land, parks, historic sites and forests. The bill also includes a provision that exempts expansions of existing facilities that do not exceed 100 megawatts from these site assessment requirements. Youngkin added that the provisions of the bill will not go into effect unless reenacted by the 2026 General Assembly. The bill clarifies that it does not interfere with existing local zoning authority. Mercury editor Samantha Willis contributed to this report. 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Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Youngkin vetoes minimum wage hike, prescription affordability board bills
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces his budget amendments in Richmond, March 24, 2025. (Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) Monday was Gov. Glenn Youngkin's deadline to take action on the roughly 900 bills that Virginia's legislature approved to send his way. Monday afternoon saw over 300 signatures and a handful of vetoes, while he had until 11:59 p.m. for his other signatures, amendments and vetoes to be posted on Virginia's Legislative Information System. Youngkin tweaks state budget with eye on federal cuts, but embraces key spending Here's some of what he vetoed by 5 p.m. Monday. Youngkin vetoed for the second straight year a widely backed bill to raise Virginia's minimum wage that would have allowed it to climb from $12.41 per hour to $13.50 per hour by January 2026, and reach $15 by January 2027. Democrats, including the bill patron Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, and various advocates insisted that the increase is necessary to keep pace with rising living costs. However, Republicans and other critics warn it could burden businesses. The governor's veto excluded a statement. Ashley Kenneth, president and CEO of the progressive Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, said in a statement that the governor's veto will continue making Virginia unaffordable for many working families and deepening barriers to economic opportunity for Virginians. 'Working people in Virginia drive our economy and deserve to be paid a fair wage for a fair day's work,' Kenneth said. 'Yet some businesses continue to exploit their workers through low pay that does not allow them to meet their basic needs.' A years-long quest to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board was defeated again. The proposal would have created an independent, nonpartisan board of medical and health experts tasked with analyzing data to set payment limits on drug prices within state-sponsored health plans. While Democrats have largely led the effort to establish a board, some Republicans, including Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Rockbridge, who co-sponsored the bill, have lent their support. 'Big Pharma has gotten away with charging hardworking Virginians outrageous prices just so they can stay alive,' said Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, who has been a key champion of the bill in the House of Delegates. No statement was attached to his veto by the time of this publication. Previously, Youngkin described the proposal as 'noble in its intent' but warned it could 'limit access to treatments and hinder medical innovation' when he rejected the bill last year. Other opponents of the bill included the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a prominent trade group that has lobbied against the bill and expressed skepticism about it. Charise Richard, a senior director of state policy at PhRMA, stressed in an interview last week that PDABs are relatively untested, despite their surge in recent years. Though at least 11 states have implemented such boards, Maryland was the first. Last fall the board approved a process to set an upper limit payment to cap drug costs on state health plans, its overall set up has been slow since its 2019 establishment and it's not yet yielded the cost-savings at the core of its mission. An effort this year to expand the board resulted in heated debate in Maryland's legislature. The governor vetoed an effort to prohibit assault firearms from being carried in public areas. Senate Bill 880, carried by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, would have prohibited certain firearms, including semi-automatic center-fire rifles, from being carried on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk or any other place everyone can go, with some exceptions, the proposal states. The current law prohibits certain shotguns, semi-automatic rifles and pistols from being carried in specific localities and when they are loaded. Ebbin's SB 1450 was also vetoed. His bill would have created standards of responsible conduct for members of the firearm industry and required them to establish 'reasonable controls' regarding the selling and marketing of firearms. The companion bill, carried by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, was also vetoed. A proposal from Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax would have allowed localities to include solar canopy requirements for applicants seeking local developments. Bills that change how localities can conserve trees amid development await Youngkin's approval Solar canopies are structures over parking lots that provide shade to parked cars and generate electricity through solar panels on top. While the state law wouldn't have required localities to include this idea in local ordinances, it would have empowered localities that wanted to do so. Though the bill passed with bipartisan support, it was ultimately vetoed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed bill to let Virginians choose their electric sources stalls
Jan. 30—richmond, va. — Legislation which would allow Virginians to choose their own electric providers has stalled in the Democrat-controlled Virginia General Assembly. Senator Travis Hackworth, R — Tazewell, filed Senate Bill 1281, which is known as the AEP Accountability Act, in early January. The bill would have allowed residential customers of Appalachian Power whose electric bills are more than 25% of the statewide average, as determined by the State Corporation Commission, to give Appalachian Power a 90-day notice before choosing a different electric provider. The power lines are owned by AEP and any electric provider could transmit electricity across those lines with the State Corporation Commission regulating it, thus providing a choice to AEP customers should this bill go through, Hacksworth said when the bill was introduced. Electricity is available on a nationwide power grid, so Virginia consumers can get their power from other providers across the country. "The power we get today may be coming from Ohio," Hackworth said then. "It's not just the power plant up the road." Other power companies have less expensive rates, according to Hackworth. In one example, Dominion Energy's average monthly residential bill for 1200 KW of electricity was $133.08 in February 2024. In January 2024, the average Appalachian Power residential customer was paying $171.09 for 1000 KW of electricity. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee passed by the bill indefinitely on Tuesday, according to the Legislative Information System. "I am deeply disappointed in the vote to defeat my common sense legislation to allow greater freedom for Appalachian Power customers," Hackworth said. "The people in Southwest Virginia are hurting. We need relief and we need it now." Hackworth said he proposed a limited pilot program that would allow local governments to aggregate their locality's customers together and select a licensed supplier to provide their power generation. "This pilot program would provide meaningful relief," Hackworth said. "But, at the end of the day, I don't care what the relief looks like. It just needs to happen." "This fight isn't over," Hackworth added. "Appalachian Power needs to listen to the cries of their customers and work with us to bring their rates down to the levels of their competitors." Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
