RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed bills to raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026 and open a recreational cannabis retail market, killing two Democratic priorities the day after the Alexandria arena deal crumbled.
The Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent Gov. Youngkin the measures on votes mostly along party lines. Without a two-thirds majority in the assembly, Democrats can’t override any of Youngkin’s vetoes.
Legislation to increase Virginia’s $12 hourly minimum wage to $13.50 by 2025 and $15 by 2026 passed along party lines and the bill to allow legal recreational weed sales in 2025 had one Republican support it.
“The free market for salaries and wages works,” Youngkin wrote in his veto statement on the minimum wage bill. “It operates dynamically, responding to the nuances of varying economic conditions and regional differences.” He added that the measure “imperils market freedom and economic competitiveness.”
After coming into the 2024 Virginia General Assembly session with two different approaches, Democrats agreed on a proposal to open a legal marketplace for recreational weed sales in 2025.
Virginia legalized cannabis in 2021, allowing people 21 and older to possess small amounts. And while Virginians can buy cannabis at dispensaries through the state’s medical program, there’s no way to buy it for recreational use as lawmakers didn’t pass a framework for retail sales.
Youngkin was clear about his utter disinterest in signing the cannabis market bill. In his veto statement, the governor said allowing legal recreational sales would endanger public safety.
“The proposed legalization of retail marijuana in the Commonwealth endangers Virginians’ health and safety,” Youngkin wrote.
“Attempting to rectify the error of decriminalizing marijuana by establishing a safe and regulated marketplace is an unachievable goal,” Youngkin added. “The more prudent approach would be to revisit the issue of discrepancies in enforcement, not compounding the risks and endangering Virginians’ health and safety with greater market availability.”
The lawmakers behind the cannabis market bill — Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax County) and Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) – criticized Youngkin for his veto of the legislation, saying it would do the opposite of what the governor hopes to avoid.
“Governor Youngkin’s failure to act allows an already thriving illegal cannabis market to persist, fueling criminal activity and endangering our communities,” Del. Krizek said in a statement. “This veto squandered a vital opportunity to safeguard Virginians and will only exacerbate the proliferation of illicit products, posing greater risks to our schools and public safety.”
Under the bill Youngkin axed, legal retail weed sales would have started in May 2025 with applications for dispensaries available in September. It would have subjected products to an 11.625% tax rate and allowed up to 350 retail stores in Virginia.
“Governor Youngkin’s dismissive stance towards addressing Virginia’s cannabis sales dilemma is unacceptable,” Sen. Rouse said in a statement. “Public servants are obligated to tackle pressing issues, regardless of their origin or culpability. They cannot cherry-pick which problems to address.”
Youngkin’s vetoes of the Democrats’ top priorities were expected and come the day after the deal to move the NHL’s Washington Capitals and NBA’s Washington Wizards to an arena in Alexandria imploded.
Youngkin and the teams’ owners announced the handshake deal on the proposed $2 billion project in December, but legislative efforts to help it move forward faced roadblocks in the Virginia Senate.
Youngkin vetoed three other bills and signed 100, his office announced Thursday.
Youngkin vetoed a bill from state Sen. Angelia Williams Graves (D-Norfolk) that would have allowed people imprisoned in Virginia on cannabis-related offenses to reduce their sentences. They would be eligible for an automatic hearing for a modification of their sentences.
About 370 people imprisoned in state facilities as of Dec. 31, 2023, and 250 people serving time in local and regional jails would have been eligible for a hearing under the bill, per the proposal’s final fiscal impact statement.
“This bill grants eligibility to a significant number of violent felons who have already received a full and fair hearing,” Youngkin wrote in his veto statement, citing figures on how many people would be eligible for reduced sentences that he believes would undermine public safety.
The governor wrote that 97 people convicted of “a violent felony offense, such as first and second-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery” would be eligible for an automatic hearing.
“In total, the proposal grants eligibility for approximately three hundred fifteen inmates. Of those, one hundred eighty individuals received convictions for selling, distributing, or manufacturing other illegal drugs and narcotics, including fentanyl,” Youngkin added. “Other inmates received convictions for serious offenses, including felony distribution to minors.”
Lawmakers will return to Richmond for the General Assembly’s reconvened session on April 17, when they will consider Youngkin’s amendments and vetoes.
