International Courant
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin on Thursday vetoed two key Democratic legislative priorities: payments that will have allowed leisure marijuana retail gross sales to start subsequent yr and measures that will have mandate a rise within the minimal wage.
The event didn’t come as a shock. Though Youngkin had not explicitly threatened to veto both invoice, he advised reporters he didn’t assume the minimal wage was vital and had repeatedly stated he was not focused on establishing retail marijuana.
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR VETO’S TONS OF GUN CONTROL LAWS THAT BOUND DEMOCRATS LAWLATORS
In 2021, Virginia turned the primary Southern state to legalize marijuana, passing a coverage change that allowed adults 21 and older to own and domesticate the drug. However the state didn’t set up retail gross sales on the time and nonetheless has not, because of shifts in get together energy and coverage variations since then.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin delivers his State of the Commonwealth deal with earlier than a joint session of the Virginia Normal Meeting, January 10, 2024, on the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. Youngkin on Wednesday, March 20, vetoed practically two dozen items of crime and legislation enforcement laws, together with a invoice that will develop the credit prisoners can get to get out of jail early and a invoice that will ban some immigrants who usually are not U.S. residents the chance to turn into law enforcement officials. (AP Picture/Steve Helber)
Proponents say the decoupling permits the illicit market to flourish, whereas opponents fear concerning the security and safety of entry to the drug. In a press release, Youngkin stated he shared these considerations.
“States following this path have seen opposed impacts on the well being and security of kids and adolescents, elevated gang exercise and violent crime, vital psychological well being deterioration, decreased visitors security, and vital prices related to retail marijuana that far exceed tax revenues . don’t get rid of the unlawful sale of hashish on the black market or assure product security,” he stated in a veto assertion accompanying the payments.
At present, house cultivation and sharing of the drug by adults is authorized in Virginia. And sufferers who obtain a written assertion from a healthcare supplier should buy medicinal hashish from a pharmacy.
Beneath the payments, the state would have began taking purposes for rising, testing, processing and promoting the drug on September 1 in preparation for the opening of the market on Could 1, 2025, with merchandise being taxed at a charge of most 11.625%.
The laws was supported by a spread of commercial pursuits and opposed by non secular and socially conservative teams.
Virginia first gained legalization at a time when Democrats had full management of the state authorities. Elections later that yr modified that, with Youngkin profitable and Republicans taking management of the Home of Representatives for 2 years, though Democrats now regain full management of the state Home.
Whereas there was some Republican legislative help for establishing authorized leisure gross sales for the reason that 2021 session, payments to take action failed in 2022 and 2023.
As for the wage laws, which might have elevated the present minimal wage of $12 per hour to $13.50 on January 1, 2025, after which to $15 on January 1, 2026, Youngkin stated the payments would “jeopardize market freedom and financial situations ”. competitiveness.”
The payments would “implement drastic wage mandates, improve prices for households and small companies, put jobs in danger and fail to handle regional financial disparities in Virginia,” he stated in a information launch.
Virginia Democrats launched an effort to lift the minimal wage in 2020. They handed laws that yr — which was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic — creating incremental will increase as much as $12, with additional bumps requiring one other vote within the Meeting.
She and different advocates have argued that the laws would assist working households afford fundamental requirements and sustain with inflation.
Youngkin took motion on a complete of 107 payments on Thursday, in line with his workplace. He signed 100, together with measures that his workplace stated would “strengthen legislation enforcement’s capacity to prosecute baby predators and improve Division of Corrections inmates’ entry to high quality well being care.”
Along with the marijuana and labor prices, he vetoed three others. An exemption for agricultural employees would have been faraway from the state’s minimal wage legislation.
One other would have required that about 315 individuals in jail or on group supervision with marijuana convictions obtain a sentence assessment, Youngkin’s workplace stated.
“Ninety-seven inmates convicted of a violent crime, comparable to first-degree homicide, kidnapping and theft, can be eligible for a decreased sentence below this proposal,” he stated in his veto assertion.
Thursday’s ultimate veto got here for a invoice coping with the kind of proof that may be thought of in sure employees’ compensation claims. The governor stated the present legislation offers a “balanced strategy,” whereas the proposal would “create a disproportionate imbalance in favor of 1 get together.”
The part-time Normal Meeting suspended its common session earlier this month and can meet once more in Richmond on April 17 for a one-day session to debate Youngkin’s proposed modifications to the legislation. They may additionally attempt to override a number of vetoes, a transfer that will require a two-thirds vote from each chambers, that are solely narrowly managed by Democrats.
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Marijuana laws handed largely alongside get together traces, and minimal wage legal guidelines have been handed strictly alongside get together traces, that means any try at overreach would nearly definitely fail.
Youngkin introduced the vetoes a day after the general public collapse of one among his prime legislative priorities: a deal to deliver the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards to Alexandria. The groups’ majority proprietor introduced they’d stay in DC as a substitute
Youngkin vetoes Virginia payments mandating minimal wage improve, boosting retail marijuana gross sales
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