by Madison Hirneisen
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed more than 700 bills sent to his desk by the General Assembly by Monday’s action deadline, approving a slew of new laws that will take effect by July 1.
The governor approved 738 bills by Monday’s action deadline and vetoed three as of Tuesday at 3 p.m., according to the state’s bill tracking system. The governor has also issued recommendations and amendments to 78 other measures, which the General Assembly will consider when it reconvenes in Richmond April 12.
Among the hundreds of bills signed into law by the governor is the bipartisan “Affordable Energy Act,” which gives the State Corporation Commission the ability to order reductions of base rates when it determines utilities are earning above their authorized rate of return. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the General Assembly rallied behind the legislation during the session, touting it as a way to ensure ratepayers are not overcharged on their electric bills, as previously reported by The Center Square.
Youngkin has also signed into law new measures that were debated throughout the legislative session, including a measure to make it a Class 3 felony for individuals who conspire together to commit organized retail theft and another that will place limits on the use of solitary confinement in Virginia prisons, though advocates have voiced concerned that the bill does not go far enough.
The governor also signed into law several bills aimed at addressing the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. A pair of bills signed by Youngkin that received broad bipartisan support would reduce from 12 months to six months the required break for a teacher, school administrator or security officer to work full time and continue receiving their pension. Another new law signed by the governor establishes the Teacher Reengagement Program to make it easier for school boards to hire individuals and address pandemic-induced learning loss.
The governor also issued several recommendations to the legislature on a stack of bills that lawmakers will consider upon their return to Richmond in April. Among the bills with proposed amendments is a measure to phase out subminimum wage in Virginia, a bill to reward oyster shell recycling and a highly debated bill to regulate hemp products.
The governor also sent recommendations to the legislature on HB 1400 – the “stopgap” budget lawmakers passed at the end of the session when they could not reach a final deal on amendments to the state’s spending plan. In a message to the legislature, the governor included technical amendments while acknowledging the bill’s passage “does not mark the end of this session’s work.”
Lawmakers will also review the governor’s three vetoed bills during the April reconvened session, which include a bill to convene a work group to study traffic noise, a bill that would allow a public utility company vehicle to park temporarily on private property without the owner’s consent, and another that would direct the Department of Human Resources to update the Grievance Procedure Manual.
– – –
Madison Hirneisen is a staff reporter covering Virginia and Maryland for The Center Square. Madison previously covered California for The Center Square out of Los Angeles, but recently relocated to the DC area. Her reporting has appeared in several community newspapers and The Washington Times.
Photo “Glenn Younkin” by Glenn Youngkin.
