Latest news with #PrescriptionDrugAffordabilityBoard
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Drug affordability legislation gets second pass through Michigan Senate
Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), lead sponsor of a bill package that would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, speaking in support of the original legislation in 2023. | Kyle Davidson For the second time, Michigan Senate Democrats have pushed forward legislation they say will bring to heel 'skyrocketing' prescription drug costs in the state. On Thursday, the state Senate passed bills that would create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, or PDAB, which would have the authority to set upper payment limits on drugs sold in Michigan. 'This board is a simple concept and a great idea,' Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township), sponsor of one of the bills, said. 'It allows for a public body of officials appointed by the governor, including folks who have no connection to the pharmaceutical industry whatsoever, who would then review some of these exorbitant price increases that we see from some companies as they are attempting to gouge the American consumer. They will hold them accountable. It will be a public and transparent process, and they will find ways to lower those costs for our residents.' Republican opposition, however, centered on concerns of replacing a free market system with a 'government-controlled collectivist system,' as Sen. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell) referred to it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Why do we have such a disproportionate amount of innovation and pharmaceuticals in the United States of America as opposed to the rest of the globe?' he asked. 'It's because the producers are free to innovate and they are free to have the market regulate the supply and the demand of the product. If you eliminate that, there's no incentive for innovation or entrepreneurship. It goes away. The competition is destroyed. This does not benefit people. This hurts people.' The package, consisting of Senate Bills 3, 4 and 5, passed with a bare majority of 20 votes, with Sen. John DaMoose (R-Harbor Springs) the lone Republican to join the 19 Democrats in approval. The legislation now moves to the GOP-controlled House, where its future is less assured. This is the second time Democrats have passed the bills through the Senate, with the upper chamber previously approving the legislation in October 2023, only to see it ultimately die without a vote in the House Insurance and Financial Services Committee. At the time, the House was controlled by Democrats, but with Republicans now in the majority there, passage will be even more difficult. One ray of hope for supporters came from Damoose, who voted against the plan when it originally passed, but on Thursday said further investigation produced a change of heart on his part. 'Last term I was persuaded by the idea that the market should determine the cost of drugs,' Damoose said. 'But the more I learned, the more apparent it became that calling the prescription drug market a free market is a total farce. We are so far from being a free market when it comes to pharmaceuticals, it's unbelievable.' Damoose noted the hundreds of billions of dollars invested by the federal government in developing many of the most popular and useful drugs, and yet U.S. taxpayers in many cases did not have affordable access to those drugs. 'It's unconscionable in my mind that those within the nation that supported the development of production of the most incredible body of medical advancement the world has ever seen would pay more than anyone else to access the benefits of those very prescription drugs,' Damoose said. The pharmaceutical industry, however, sees the situation differently, with trade group PhRMA saying the proposed board would have 'long-term, harmful effects' on both the development of livesaving drugs and patients' ability to access them. 'Prescription Drug Affordability Boards are a disaster for patients,' said Stami Turk, director of public affairs at PhRMA. 'These bills put the government between patients and their doctors. Patients deserve access to the medicine their doctors prescribe – not roadblocks from Lansing. The House has the chance to do the right thing and to get the government out from in between patients and their physicians.' Doctors, meanwhile, have welcomed the proposal, with support from the Michigan State Medical Society and the Committee to Protect Health Care. Dr. Rob Davidson, is an emergency room physician in west Michigan and executive director of the committee. 'Doctors are encouraged to see this legislation to help our patients better afford their prescription drugs, and to help finally hold Big Pharma accountable, move forward in the legislative process,' Davidson said. 'We look forward to swift passage of these bills in both the Senate and House in Michigan so that our patients here can also benefit from upper payment limits and be able to take their medications as doctors like us prescribe.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
It's time to hit pause on the PDAB
A pharmacist counts out pills for a prescription in this 2024 file photo. (Photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol/U.S. Air Force) I had hoped voices like mine – a Black woman with Crohn's disease – would still have impact in the state of Maryland. Yet, there seems to be little concern that Maryland's Prescription Drug Affordability Board may reduce access to care for those already experiencing health disparities. The legislature created the board to make drugs more affordable – though to whom is still an open question. I founded a nonprofit representing patients like me, Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses, based on my own personal experience. I have been on 16 medications, from pills to injections to suppositories. I started having rectal bleeding at age 13, yet was not diagnosed with Crohn's disease until 2018, after a 30-year journey. And even with diagnosis, I did not get an advanced therapy prescribed until five years later. That medication changed my life. Yet, I also recognize that I have a progressive disease and my health has been forever impacted by a delayed diagnosis and delayed prescribing of the advanced therapy I needed. Based on my experience and so many like me, I worry the activities of the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board will exacerbate existing health disparities. In this age of personalized medicine, clinicians can prescribe treatment based on evidence of clinical effectiveness based on personal characteristics. Drugs do not have the same impact on different patients, and policies should not allow physicians to be steered by payers into prescribing decisions. Insurers are not doctors. Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@ We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from elected officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. Patients face a flurry of threats to our access to health care in Congress right now, giving state policymakers an opening to slide past us what they might call policy tweaks or simple data collection to inform payer decisions. Yet, any patient that has fought for coverage of their treatment knows that the policies governing payers really matters. What sounds good to save the system money does not translate into affordability and access for patients and people with disabilities. Adding to the insult, the Maryland legislature passed legislation to expand the reach of the state's Prescription Drug Affordability Board to the commercial insurance market. We all want drugs to be accessible and affordable. Patients like me are literally fighting for their lives to achieve policies that allow them to receive care prescribed by their doctors without the barriers of utilization management, such delayed treatment due to prior authorizations, step therapy forcing patients to fail on a treatment before accessing what their doctors prescribe, and nonmedical switching at the pharmacy to a different drug. Patients pay for the mistakes of insurers that impose their judgement about medical treatment – based largely on cost effectiveness and not clinical effectiveness – in the form of costly adverse medical events or by having to pay out-of-pocket for denied care they know they need. When patients have raised concerns that this Board's decisions may trigger insurers to change their formularies and raise costs to patients, there has been no serious consideration of the issue other than a commitment to monitor and study it. We all know what that means – nothing. We have also shared concerns individually and as coalitions that the board's work may conflict with the laws governing disability nondiscrimination, which bars their use of measures of cost effectiveness known to devalue people with serious, disabling and chronic conditions like mine. In response, a board member bluntly stated it was better to have more data than less and expressed intent to collect data using the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) measure to value treatments. The board did not acknowledge the QALY is known to devalue disabled lives and is barred from use by federal law to make decisions in programs such as Medicaid. It was developed for the purpose of rationing care in other countries, which does not bode well for the disproportionate share of people of color that have disabling conditions or older adults. The National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency advising Congress and the states on disability policy. It has consistently recommended against use of QALYs and similar measures, including by reference to other countries. The question now is whether the board will pause its work and listen to people like me about what really drives our affordability challenges.
Axios
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Youngkin vetoes recreational weed, paid sick leave and minimum wage hike
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is staying true to his vetoer reputation. The big picture: With 157 vetoes so far this year, Youngkin has already rejected more bills than every other Virginia governor in the past 30 years. For comparison, former Gov. Ralph Northam vetoed 58 bills in his four-year term. But he was also a Democrat dealing with a majority Democratic legislature. Between the lines: Vetoed bills can still make a comeback in the legislature, but that requires bipartisan support. Democrats don't have a two-thirds majority vote to override a veto. The General Assembly is taking up Youngkin's budget and bill amendments on April 2, which means more vetoes are likely on the way if lawmakers don't budge. These are a few Youngkin said "no" to this week: His repeat vetoes 🍃 A legal retail weed market with sales starting in May 2026. He said he wants to focus more on enforcement. 🔍 A bill removing weed consumption as grounds for a parent being denied custody or visitation of their kids. 👨⚖️ The chance at modified sentences for people incarcerated for some marijuana-related felony offenses. 🔫 A five-day waiting period for buying a gun so the dealer can check criminal history. ↗️ Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027. 🤝 Lifting the ban on collective bargaining for public employees. 💊 The creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. 🤒 Paid sick leave for all Virginia workers. Education 🧠 A bill to require the state Department of Education to create and provide school board guidance on policies for "culturally responsive and language-appropriate" mental health support for students. Youngkin said"cultural responsiveness could introduce subjective and divisive criteria into the schools" and conflict with federal orders. 🚌 Allowing all localities to add a local sales and use tax and have the revenue from it go toward school construction projects, if voters agreed to it. 🍽️ A proposal for school boards to pay the total unpaid school meal balances at the end of the year. 📚 Directing a task force to look at the effect of absenteeism on local school systems. Food and drink 💧 A proposal requiring any place that sells alcohol to make sure free water is available upon request. Youngkin said most establishments already do this and this would increase costs for businesses. Henrico casino 🎰 Youngkin vetoed language that would've required Henrico residents to vote on a new Rosie's Gaming Emporium before it could be built near them, resulting in a fiery response from the county. "Henrico County is profoundly disappointed by the governor's decision to remove voters from having a direct say in whether historical horse racing slot machine operators, such as Rosie's, should operate in their backyards," officials wrote. Jails 🌡️ This proposal would have required the Department of Corrections to keep state correctional facilities at no less than 65 degrees and no greater than 80 degrees. Weapons 🏥 A push to make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to have a weapon inside a hospital that offers mental health services.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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 issues vetoes, rejects minimum wage increase and prescription drug review board
Gov. Glenn Youngkin began issuing vetoes Monday, rejecting legislation passed by the General Assembly this year that would raise the minimum wage and prohibit carrying certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles and shotguns in public spaces. The governor still had about 900 bills to consider after his first round of signings earlier this month. By Monday afternoon, about 450 bills had been signed or enacted and 11 had been vetoed. Several pieces of legislation Youngkin rejected last year met the same fate this time around. At least a dozen similar or identical bills that were vetoed last year were on Youngkin's desk again this year, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. One bill rejected this year and last year would have established a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, a framework the General Assembly has spent years trying to create. The legislation 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. Proponents of the bill said it would have delivered cost benefits to Virginians ineligible for savings under current Medicare price negotiations. Opponents said it could restrict access to certain medications, since pharmaceutical companies may hesitate to sell their drugs in Virginia if the price limit differs from national or regional rates. Youngkin also denied a minimum wage increase. The hourly wage in Virginia would have been raised incrementally to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2027. Advocates said it would help workers keep up with inflation and afford necessities without relying on government assistance. Others cautioned it could strain businesses. In January, the minimum wage increased to $12.41 an hour, up from $12. That's because of legislation the General Assembly passed in 2020 that change is a result of legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2020 that required the minimum wage to begin increasing this year in accordance with inflation if it is not otherwise changed by statute. Previously, a person making $12 an hour and working 40 hours a week earned $480 a week, minus taxes. That increased to $496.40 a week, or about $25,000 a year, at a $12.41 an hour wage. Youngkin also rejected HB1921, a bill that aimed to require one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked and five paid sick days per year for full-time workers. Employees could use the paid sick leave for physical or mental illness or to care for a sick family member. The hours also could have been for an employee's need for services or relocation because of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. The requirement would have gone into effect July 1, 2026, and proponents said it would have prevented workers from having to choose between their health and their paychecks. In previous years, Democrats and Republicans clashed over legislation to raise Virginia's minimum wage to $15 per hour. Democrats have had slim majorities in both chambers, meaning Republican backing wasn't needed to get the bill through the legislature, but Democrats wouldn't have the votes to override a veto. This year, the increase passed the House of Delegates 50-46 and the Senate 21-19. Youngkin rejected at least two firearms-related bills Monday. One would have prohibited the carrying of certain semi-automatic center-fire rifles and shotguns on public streets and parks. Another bill would have created standards of responsible conduct for firearm industry members. Several bills Youngkin rejected in previous years had not seen any action as of Monday afternoon. One such repeat bill would create a five-day waiting period for purchasing firearms. Of the 2,500 pieces of proposed legislation that came through the General Assembly this year, about 1,400 bills were killed, VPAP reported. More than 960 were passed, while another 65 were consolidated. In 2024, Youngkin vetoed 201 bills, more than any other recent governor in Virginia. Youngkin's deadline for his decisions is Monday at 11:59 p.m. Eliza Noe,
