RICHMOND, Va. — On Monday, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed and vetoed several bills passed by Virginia’s House and Senate. The legislation covered a range of topics, from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 to establishing a paid family and medical leave insurance program.
Youngkin defended his vetoes, stating that the rejected bills would “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.”
Here’s a look at some of the key bills he vetoed:
Youngkin vetoes raising Virginia minimum wage to $15
This bill aimed to raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.50 an hour by January 1, 2026, followed by an increase to $15 an hour by January 1, 2027. Additionally, beginning in 2027, the Commissioner of Labor and Industry would have been required to adjust the minimum wage annually based on cost-of-living increases measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Youngkin vetoed the measure, arguing that “the free market for salaries and wages works. It operates dynamically, responding to the nuances of varying economic conditions and regional differences.” He further stated that a “one-size-fits-all mandate ignores the vast economic and geographic differences and undermines the ability to adapt to regional cost-of-living differences and market dynamics.”
His veto was widely expected, as he had previously rejected a similar bill. Virginia’s current minimum wage is $12.41.
Bill would have held landlords accountable for unsafe living conditions
This bill would have allowed localities to seek an injunction and damages against landlords who fail to address rental agreement violations that pose fire hazards or serious threats to tenants’ health and safety. Under the proposal, landlords would be notified of violations and given a reasonable timeframe to resolve them before enforcement action could be taken.
Youngkin vetoed the bill, asserting that existing laws, including the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, already provide enforcement mechanisms for addressing these issues.
Youngkin blocks bill to create paid family and medical leave program
This proposal aimed to create a paid family and medical leave program that would cover eligible employees at 80% of their average weekly wage for up to 12 weeks.
Youngkin rejected the bill, arguing that it would impose “a new payroll tax.” He noted that only 14 states currently mandate paid family leave and claimed that these states have “struggled to maintain competitive job growth, attract corporate relocation, secure capital investment, and retain population.”
Bill would have required firearm locking devices for sales and transfers
This bill sought to make it a Class 3 misdemeanor for licensed firearm manufacturers, importers, or dealers to sell or transfer firearms without providing a locking device and a separate printed warning that guns should be stored securely and kept away from children.
Youngkin vetoed the measure, contending that federal regulations already require manufacturers and dealers to provide secure gun storage or safety devices with handgun transactions. He also pointed to existing Virginia incentives that encourage firearm safety device purchases.
Youngkin vetoes bill prohibiting carrying specific firearms in public
This bill would make it a misdemeanor to carry certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns in any public area. The new bill would have further restricted the magazine size of assault rifles allowed in public to be 10 rounds or under and would expand the restriction of public carrying of assault rifles to all of the Commonwealth.
Youngkin vetoed the bill, saying, “Current law already prohibits brandishing a firearm in a manner that reasonably induces fear in another person or holding a firearm in a public place that creates a reasonable fear of violence.”
Youngkin blocks bill to establish Prescription Drug Affordability Board
This bill would have established a board for the purpose of protecting consumers and stakeholders from the high costs of prescription drugs. The board would be tasked with reviewing the affordability of prescription drugs sold in the Commonwealth and releasing the findings and recommendations to the General Assembly.
Youngkin vetoed the bill previously. He said in this session that the legislation “risks limiting patient access to essential medication by prioritizing costs over medical necessity. Affordability of prescription drugs is a critical issue, but this proposal would instead compromise patient welfare in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Youngkin vetoes bill establishing retail marijuana market
This bill aimed to establish a legal framework for retail marijuana sales in Virginia. Under the proposal, the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would have started issuing licenses in September 2024, with retail sales launching in May 2025.
Youngkin vetoed a similar bill last year and cited the same concerns in his decision. He argued that states with legal marijuana markets have experienced “adverse effects on children’s and adolescents’ health and safety, increased gang activity and violent crime, significant deterioration in mental health…”
Critics of Youngkin’s vetoes, including Senator Aaron Rouse, argue that failing to create a legal market worsens public safety.
“The failure to establish a legal retail marijuana market is a threat to public safety in our Commonwealth, especially here in Virginia Beach,” Rouse said in June of last year. “In Virginia Beach, 90% of the city’s illegal drug-related crime is fueled by marijuana, driving much of the city’s shooting violence.”
Rouse and other supporters of legalization contend that the unregulated black market, not legal sales, is the true driver of gun violence.
