Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday announced that he vetoed 22 crime bill passed by Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly that he said “would have undermined public safety” in the commonwealth.
Youngkin confirmed the 22 vetoes in a press release announcing action on 60 bills. In addition to the vetoes, Youngkin signed 36 bills into law and made amendments to two.
Explaining the vetoes, Youngkin stated that he “took action against legislation which would have undermined public safety,” citing his “duty to protect the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia from harm.”
The governor described the vetoed bills as legislation that protects illegal immigrants and impedes “law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges from holding criminals accountable and bringing them to justice.”
Immigration bills Youngkin vetoed include HB 972, which would have prohibited prosecutors from asking about illegal immigrant status of criminal defendants and HB 776, which would have allowed non-citizens to serve as police in the commonwealth.
Explaining his veto of HB 972, the governor wrote, “the Court must absolutely have the right to inquire as the the immigration status of a defendant” to determine the proper venue and “whether or not the defendant is a flight risk.”
The governor also wrote that HB 776 “is unnecessary as current law allows the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to issue a waiver” for those who are legal permanent residents of the United States and seek to become a police officer.
Youngkin wrote the bill would actually strip DCJS of its ability to make waiver determinations, including in areas not covered by the legislation, “and may hinder law enforcement agency recruitment.”
Other bills vetoed by Youngkin include legislation changing requirements for police chiefs, bills to lower penalties, sentences and increase parole eligibility for various crimes, and legislation that sought to limit police discovery and interrogation practices.
Youngkin also stated he is “pleased to sign bipartisan bills into law, including legislation that will aid economic development in Southwest Virginia Coal Country, put reasonable restrictions on the use of canines in corrections facilities, make it easier for Virginians to prosecute violations of their protective orders, and improve the delivery of services to Virginians with development disabilities by allowing them more time to work with support coordinators to find the right provider.”
The General Assembly will reconvene April 17 to reconsider legislation vetoed or amended by Youngkin.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Glenn Youngkin” by Governor of Virginia. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Doug Kerr. CC BY-SA 2.0.
