(The Center Square) – Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s latest round of vetoes is continuing to spark frustration from some lawmakers, with several saying concerns raised by the administration could have been addressed earlier during the legislative session.
Spanberger vetoed another group of bills involving elections, prisons, prescription drug pricing and higher education, while saying in multiple veto explanations that she supported the intent behind many of the proposals but believed additional changes were needed before they could become law.
One of the higher-profile vetoes involved House Bill 483 and Senate Bill 271, legislation focused on prescription drug affordability, pricing oversight and extending certain Medicare-negotiated drug pricing models into Virginia-regulated health plans.
Spanberger said similar affordability systems in other states have struggled to lower costs while creating expensive new bureaucratic systems.
“They are expensive undertakings that other states have either repealed or are considering repealing due to costs and ineffectiveness,” Spanberger wrote.
Spanberger said she instead proposed amendments focused on studying reference-based pricing systems, increasing drug price transparency and expanding the Attorney General’s authority involving anticompetitive behavior between pharmaceutical companies and insurers.
Freedom Virginia Co-Executive Director Rhena Hicks also criticized the veto in a statement Wednesday, citing analysis she said projected Virginians could save nearly $100 million annually on prescription drug costs under the legislation beginning in 2027.
Hicks argued the bill would have lowered costs, increased transparency and held corporations accountable, while criticizing amendments proposed by the governor that she said would have weakened the measure.
Spanberger also vetoed Senate Bill 218, which would have prohibited inmates transferred into Virginia through the Interstate Corrections Compact from being housed at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County.
The governor said restricting those transfers could create additional safety concerns inside Virginia’s prison system and argued the Department of Corrections already reviews inmates’ security risks before approving placements.
The veto drew criticism from Sen. Mike Jones, D-Chesterfield, who said the legislation was narrowly focused on one prison that has faced years of scrutiny over inmate treatment and conditions.
“This bill did one thing: it said that inmates transferring into Virginia from other states through the Interstate Corrections Compact should not be placed at Red Onion State Prison. That’s it,” Jones said in a statement.
Jones also said lawmakers heard little opposition to the proposal during the legislative session and argued he would have been open to changes if concerns had been raised earlier.
Spanberger vetoed House Bill 111 involving voter registration cancellations and voter roll maintenance and House Bill 639 election officials accepting certain private donations or services.
On the election-related measures, Spanberger said she supported the intent of the legislation but argued her proposed amendments would have added clearer limits, additional guardrails and more time for implementation discussions.
Another veto blocked House Bill 61, legislation involving Virginia’s Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned business program, often referred to as SWaM.
Spanberger said the proposal could remove nearly 800 businesses from eligibility and reduce state SWaM spending by at least $340 million.
The governor also rejected legislation involving courthouse security screenings for attorneys, governance changes at public universities, mandatory recording requirements for child welfare interviews and proposals involving menopause protections under the Virginia Human Rights Act.
“I support the intent of many of the bills I am vetoing,” Spanberger said in a statement. “However, it is my responsibility as Governor to make sure all new laws can be successfully implemented and protect against unintended consequences that harm Virginians.”
