Richmond, Virginia — On Tuesday, Glenn Youngkin took a break from vetoing 158 pieces of progressive legislation to threaten localities who declare themselves “sanctuary cities” by removing their funding for law enforcement. Youngkin first threatened to defund local police departments over disagreements on immigration in December, when he proposed a budget amendment that would allow him to remove funding for […]
Press Releases
Press Release
In Amendment, Governor Youngkin Quietly Attempts to Transform Commonsense Gun Safety Bill Into Anti-Trans Legislation
Richmond, Virginia — As part of a flurry of vetoes and amendments in the earlier part of the week, Governor Youngkin has quietly attempted to turn the text of HB 1678, a piece of legislation requiring school boards to notify parents about the importance of safe storage of firearms and medication into a bill that forcibly outs […]
Press Release
In A Last-Minute, Late Night Veto Session, Youngkin Vetoes Crucial Legislation
Richmond, Virginia—At 11:15 PM on the night of the Virginia law-mandated deadline for gubernatorial action on bills passed by the General Assembly, the governor had only vetoed eleven bills. By morning, dozens of bills had fallen to his veto pen, including many long-hoped for pieces of legislation designed to make life easier for working families, […]
Press Release
The Virginia Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend. Our Community Needs More Lasting Relief.
Richmond, VA-–This weekend marks Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday. During this three-day window, qualifying school supplies and back-to-school clothing are exempt from the sales tax, as are some weather preparedness supplies and EnergyStar-certified appliances. Even modest relief from rising costs can be a big help to working families, but critics of sales tax holidays say they […]
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ICYMI: Workers At DC Airports Win Four-Year Campaign for Paid Sick Leave
Washington, DC-–Frontline union members and service workers at DC’s major airports are celebrating this week as their four-year fight for paid sick leave has ended in victory. Starting in January of 2025, workers at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports will receive 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. For the first time, frontline airport […]
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Supreme Court Rejects Meritless Mifepristone Case- Abortion Pill Access Remains Legal in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine
Richmond, VA – Today, the United States Supreme Court released their decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, ruling to maintain access to the abortion pill, mifepristone. Today’s decision ensures continued access to this safe, effective and popular abortion method for all Virginians. As abortion restrictions spread across the country, Virginia remains a crucial access point […]
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Youngkin’s Move on EVs Is Reckless, Costly, and Probably Illegal
Richmond, VA-–Despite his party’s failed attempt to roll back Virginia’s best-in-class emissions standards in the last legislative session, today Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Virginia would no longer be permitted to enforce the robust emission standards voted on by the General Assembly in 2021 and instead, would be required to return to the more lax […]
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In a Time Of National Debate On Contraception, Youngkin’s Veto Is Ominous
Richmond, VA-–When Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an eleventh-hour veto of the Contraceptive Equity Act last month, he entered into what has become an increasingly fraught national debate around the right to access and use contraception. The bills, sponsored by Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Delegate Marcia Price, would have guaranteed that medical professionals would be legally allowed to prescribe contraception and […]
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Virginia’s Largest Police Force Will Operate Without Body-Worn Cameras For Another Year
Richmond, VA-–An amendment that would have required officers of the Virginia State Police to wear body cameras was quietly stripped from this year’s state budget, which was finalized on Monday. The amendment, sponosred by Delegate Lashrecse Aird, would have purchased body cameras for all VSP officers and would have staffed a program to collect and review the […]
Press Release
ICYMI: Glenn Youngkin Is Required To Appoint a DEI Director. Why Hasn’t He?
Richmond, VA-–On Monday, Governor Glenn Youngkin, whose office once declared that “DEI is dead,” found himself signing a state spending bill that apportioned $3.6 million to the Office of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. The bill also mandated that Governor Youngkin must return the word “equity” to the office title after attempting to change the office’s name to […]