Governor Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday announced a veto of legislation that would have mandated “environmental literacy” education across the commonwealth’s schools.
The governor vetoed HB 1088, which would have mandated the Virginia Board of Education to create or purchase “instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy that are based on and include peer-reviewed scientific sources.”
Specifically, education professionals would have had to obtain curriculum that accurately portrays “changes in weather and climate patterns over time, the impacts of human activity on changes in weather and climate patterns, and the effects of climate change on people and resources.”
In his veto explanation, Youngkin pointed to existing standards that mandate education for environmental issues.
“The proposal imposes a significant and redundant task on the Department of Education and the Board of Education. It mandates a separate and independent review for a specific topic, in addition to the review of science Standards of Learning and instructional material,” wrote Youngkin.
The governor also noted the legislation would have required school divisions to “integrate these new resources into their curriculum outside the standard process, necessitating purchasing instructional material and reallocating instructional time without additional funding.”
In addition to the climate change education bill, Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have funded more academic researchers and raised the penalties for businesses that sell invasive plants without adequate warning to consumers.
Youngkin also signed SB 7 and HB 18, which the governor stated will help combat antisemitism and other religious bigotry in Virginia.
“Today, after two years of hard work, I’m pleased to sign SB 7 and HB 18,” which Youngkin wrote codify the suggestions by his Commission to Combat Antisemitism.
The governor continued, “As the first state to weave religious freedom into the fabric of our nation, Virginia is leading once again and sending a clear message that Virginians should not be the victim of a crime simply because of their religion, race, or ethnicity.”
Delegate Don Scott (D-Portsmouth), the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, recently claimed Youngkin is using his vetoes to punish Democratic lawmakers following the defeat of his plan to bring the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards to Virginia.
“I’m not surprised that he used some vetoes to continue to punish some folks,” Scott said on Monday.
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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].
