Virginia's governor is working to remove the Commonwealth from multistate organizations.
Governor Glenn Youngkin has an exit strategy. He wants Virginia to leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and he's already removed Virginia from the Electronic Registration Information Center. One has to do with the environment and the other is about elections.
David Becker at the Center for Election Innovation and Research says the multistate compact known as ERIC has helped Virginia maintain accurate voter rolls during both Republican and Democratic administrations.
"All the states that were in ERIC received vast benefits in learning about people who have moved, people who have died, etc.," Becker says. "And only in the last year has ERIC been the target of conspiracy theorists and propaganda sites."
As for the environmental multistate compact, the governor is expected to sign the order officially leaving RGGI just as soon as the comment period ends. Tim Cywinski at the Sierra Club says that would be a mistake.
"Recently an area in Virginia named Hurley experienced extreme flooding. The funds that were generated from RGGI were used as our disaster response," Cywinski says. "Governor Youngkin himself directed RGGI funds to help that community in a time of great need."
Virginia's contract with RGGI will continue until the end of the calendar year. What happens after that might be determined by a lawsuit.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
