(The Center Square) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin wielded his veto pen Monday, rejecting a wave of legislation on the final day to act on bills passed during the 2025 General Assembly session.
The governor completed action on 916 bills, including 157 vetoes, 159 amendments and eight line-item vetoes. He signed 599 bills and returned the budget, House Bill 1600, with 205 amendments.
Among the bills Youngkin vetoed were proposals to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2027, expanding sick leave to more workers and requiring large employers to adopt workplace violence prevention policies. He also vetoed a proposal to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, similar to a measure the governor rejected in 2024.
U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic candidate for governor, criticized the veto on social media. “Governor Youngkin just vetoed a bill that would’ve raised Virginia’s minimum wage,” she wrote on X. “At a time when so many Virginians are struggling to make ends meet, they deserve a Governor who will help them get ahead and stay there. As your next Governor, I’d sign this bill into law.”
The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis criticized the veto of House Bill 1928, saying it would harm 365,000 working Virginians who would have benefited from the gradual rise to a $15 minimum wage by 2027. “Governor Youngkin is dismissing an opportunity to protect Virginia’s workers and ensure a more fair wage. It’s past time to remove loopholes and make sure every working Virginian is paid at least $15 an hour,” said Ashley C. Kenneth, President and CEO of TCI.
“And I have vetoed bills that I think will take the Commonwealth backward by raising the cost of living, hurting our strong job growth, stifling innovation, undermining our All-American All-of-the-Above Power and Energy Plan or making our communities less safe,” Youngkin said in a press release.
The governor vetoed multiple housing-related bills, including legislation limiting criminal history use in tenant screening, strengthening local enforcement of landlord-tenant laws and supporting housing preservation initiatives.
Another vetoed bill, Senate Bill 880, had been rejected in nearly identical form last year, reinforcing Youngkin’s pattern of blocking gun control measures passed by Democrats. He also vetoed proposals to restrict firearms and large-capacity magazines, hold firearm manufacturers liable under certain conditions, and ban guns in hospitals that serve patients with mental health or developmental disabilities.
“Governor Youngkin has signaled his support for the public carrying of assault-style weapons by vetoing my bill, SB 880,” Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, wrote on X. “This is reckless and dangerous to our public safety.”
Other measures would have clarified definitions around trigger devices and strengthened enforcement against illegal firearm transfers and one proposal aimed at allowing victims to pursue civil action against certain firearm manufacturers and dealers.
“Governor Youngkin is denying a day in court for those killed due to the irresponsible actions of the firearm industry by vetoing my bill, SB 1450,” Ebbin also wrote.
The governor also vetoed legislation to create a workforce training program for the offshore wind energy sector, requiring minimum heating and cooling standards in state correctional facilities and exempting electric landscaping equipment from property taxes.
Youngkin set a state record in 2024 with 201 vetoes, the most ever issued by a Virginia governor in a single year. This included 153 vetoes during the regular session and 48 more after the reconvened session. In 2023, Youngkin vetoed 120 bills, and in 2022—his first year in office—he issued 26.
The vetoes came as expected. Youngkin had signaled earlier in the day that many of the proposals sent to his desk were versions of bills he rejected last year, saying, “If I vetoed it last year, there is a reasonable chance I will this year,” according to Virginia Scope News.
With Democrats holding narrow majorities, most override attempts are expected to fall short—but the vetoes could become campaign flashpoints heading into the fall.
The vetoes will be subject to possible override votes when lawmakers return for the April 17 reconvened session.
