March 9, 2024
MAGA Republicans Veto Legislation Supported by an Overwhelming Majority of Virginians
RICHMOND, VA – The House Democratic Caucus released the following statement after the Governor vetoed or offered amendments to bills sent to his desk under the seven-day timeline:
“The Governor’s choice to veto and offer overzealous amendments to these critical pieces of legislation will do nothing more than ensure that guns are left in the hands of domestic abusers, restrict access to reproductive healthcare and threaten our democracy and our voting rights.
For the second time this week, the Republican Governor of this Commonwealth showed his allegiance to power hungry MAGA extremists and, yet again, every Republican in the General Assembly has bent the knee to a man who boasts his role in overturning women’s healthcare and inciting attacks on democracy.
MAGA Republicans have shown time and time again that they do not trust women, that they do not protect women, and they do not have the interests of women in the Commonwealth in mind. The Governor’s veto of Delegate-Bennett Parker’s HB46 protects abusers and makes our communities less safe for women in every corner of the Commonwealth.
At a time when healthcare is being attacked around the country, protecting access to contraceptives, especially for the most vulnerable among us, remains an absolute priority for our Caucus. The unnecessary amendment added to Senator Hashmi’s SB238, cognate to Delegate Mundon King’s HB819, only serves the purpose of adding additional barriers to access for women across Virginia who are more than capable of deciding when and how they want to start a family.
Just a day after we recognized the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday – a peaceful protest that turned so violent, it led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – the Governor vetoed Senator VanValkenburg’s SB606, cognate to Delegate Sickles’ HB1177, directing the Commonwealth to re-enter ERIC, and needlessly amended Senator Rouse’s SB189, cognate to Delegate Convirs-Fowler’s HB416, the Virginia Beach Charter Change to the 10-1 electoral system. With our democracy under threat, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that everyone has an equal voice in our election system, not preventing a locality from conducting the will of the people and making their electoral systems truly representative – especially when no other locality’s request was affected.
The people of the Commonwealth spoke loud and clear last November. They sent us to Richmond to stop this dangerous MAGA agenda and return to the people’s agenda. These actions show the true colors of Virginia Republicans, and we sincerely hope that we will have a sea change when we return to this body in April.”
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