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Governor Youngkin's record-breaking final slate of vetoes

FILE - Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly, Jan. 10, 2024, at the state Capitol in Richmond, Va. Gambling regulations, school construction and the state budget were on the agenda for Virginia lawmakers returning to Richmond on Wednesday, April 17, to consider Youngkin’s proposed amendments to legislation and his record number of vetoes.
Steve Helber
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FR 171958 AP
FILE - Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly, Jan. 10, 2024, at the state Capitol in Richmond, Va. Gambling regulations, school construction and the state budget were on the agenda for Virginia lawmakers returning to Richmond on Wednesday, April 17, to consider Youngkin’s proposed amendments to legislation and his record number of vetoes.

Virginia's governor is breaking records with the number of vetoes he’s issued.

In his final round of vetoes this year, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin took action to help a Confederate heritage group and frustrate supporters of contraception. In one of the most anticipated decisions, he vetoed a bill that would’ve allowed slot machine style games at convenience stores and truck stops.

Former Republican Delegate David Ramadan is now at George Mason University's Schar School. And he says he doubts that lawmakers will return to Richmond and approve a bill anytime soon, although he says anything's possible.

"And this is not a partisan deal at this point. It's a political game," Ramadan says. "The General Assembly wants skill games. The governor wants something in return. What can he get in return in a special session after the budget has passed? I don't see much."

Youngkin also vetoed a bill that would’ve eliminated tax breaks for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and another bill that would have eliminated state-issued license plates that celebrate Robert E. Lee.

"Governor Youngkin has taken a stance against critical race theory and teaching history, and yet you have two vetoes that really suggest it's a very specific kind of history that they are interested in preserving and another type of history they are interested in sweeping under the rug," says Jatia Wrighten at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The governor also vetoed a bill that would have protected access to contraception, an issue Democrats say they will continue to fight for despite opposition from Youngkin.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.