CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Virginia lawmakers are reflecting on the results of their veto session, addressing Governor Glenn Youngkin’s changes and objections for hundreds of bills that were either vetoed or returned to the legislature with amendments.
The one thing the two parties seem to agree on: there was not much budging on either side of the aisle.
“It was definitely more political this year,” said 55th District Delegate Amy Laufer, a Democrat. “Many of the bills had actually been unanimously supported or at least 60 votes or more, and the Governor still amended or vetoed them.”
Though these bills were originally unanimous, Laufer says many Republicans still did not join Democrats in their ultimately unsuccessful attempts to override Youngkin’s vetoes.
Delegate Katrina Callsen, a Democrat who represents the neighboring 54th District, says she has an idea why.
“All of us pointed out ways in which our state Republican party is seemingly afraid of Trump, and because of that, we’re not taking action on otherwise bills that have broad bipartisan appeal,” Callsen said.
Both Democrats expressed frustration with the high number of vetoes, but those on the other side of the aisle say Youngkin’s effort to halt legislation was crucial.
“I would like to see us do a little bit of a better job of protecting things like second amendment rights and gun rights,” said Republican State Senator Luther Cifers, who represents Virginia’s 10th District. “Fortunately, Governor Youngkin’s veto pen intervened on behalf of those of us who think those are important and constitutional things.”
Cifers says a success from the session was helping transfer SB1486, a bill to help protect the privacy of students on school-issued devices.
However, Cifers says a major loss was the Democrats’ failure to help pass a bill to make the earned income tax credit permanent.
“My argument is very simple,” said Cifers. “I spent most of my life in those tax brackets. So, if things get tough, to me those citizens are going to need those tax benefits more than they do now…So that was a big disappointment.”
Delegate Laufer expressed similar exasperation over the failure to override Youngkin’s veto of HB2002, which would have ensured the Department of Elections could remove individuals from the voter roll only if they either removed themselves or if a state agency determined they should be removed.
“I still believe that the only way you should be taken off the voter roll is if you yourself have done that or if a state agency has taken you off,” Laufer said. “We definitely want to take politics out of it.”
Laufer was, however, able to pass a few other bills, including one to provide remote monitoring for pregnant women with high blood pressure and diabetes and one to expand telehealth opportunities.
Delegate Callsen was able to pass HB2686 without amendments, which will establish criteria for school boards for middle school students to be able to enroll in advanced math courses, particularly aiming to help students that are underrepresented in math.
But a bill she sponsored to expand solar under the Clean Energy Act did not make it through without what she says are dealbreaker amendments.
Callsen now says she is hoping that the next governor will express concerns and suggest amendments to legislation sooner rather than later.
“A lot of times legislators are willing to fix things if it’s pointed out to them, but if you wait, and you don’t say anything, and then you veto legislation, you run into what we’re seeing, which is just that we’re not taking action and Virginians need help now,” Callsen said.
Cifers is also hoping for a change, though in a very different way.
“It’s tough being in the minority, in a legislature that frankly is in a really progressive stance right now, so my hope is that we can chip away at that and bring some sanity back to Virginia,” he said.
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