Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) spent the first two years of his administration weighing in on headline-grabbing issues such as critical race theory, transgender rights, and abortion.
In November, voters rejected his brand of conservatism and voted in Democrats, who won both houses in the General Assembly, dealing a serious blow to Youngkin’s legislative agenda.
Youngkin, forced to play the only hand he had, turned to Democrats for help.
“We’re building a rapport,” Democratic House Speaker Don Scott Jr. told the Washington Post last month. “Give us some time. Let us build this rapport outside the public limelight. And then, when the time comes, we’ll be able to [get things done] because we’re working on some big, important stuff.”
Scott was once one of Youngkin’s most outspoken critics and went so far as to accuse the governor of abandoning his faith.
“So far, what I’ve seen from his day one activities is not someone who is a man of faith, not a Christian, but someone who wants to divide the commonwealth,” Scott said.
Since then, the two men have worked together, and Scott has helped nudge along some of Youngkin’s agenda.
Now, Virginia Democrats in office are hoping the governor is ready to return the favor.
Democrats have sent dozens of gun control bills to the governor’s office for his signature. Even though they control both chambers of the General Assembly, they do not have the numbers to override Youngkin’s veto power.
The gun bills they sent to the governor’s desk were largely passed along party lines and include: requiring a locking device for selling and transferring guns; a ban on “ghost guns,” which are unserialized and untraceable firearms that can be bought online and assembled at home; a five-day waiting period on all gun purchases; a $500 fine for people who leave a gun visible in an unattended car that is then stolen; a requirement of a firearms safety or training course before gun purchases; and a bill that would ban carrying semi-automatic guns in public places.
Youngkin has gone on record to say he believes Virginia gun laws are already strong enough but has not directly addressed whether he will veto the bills that have been at the top of the Democrats’ legislative agenda.
Surprisingly, even though Youngkin toed the party line on the campaign trail, he did not receive an endorsement from the National Rifle Association, which is embroiled in a lawsuit accusing the nonprofit organization’s top executives of spending millions of dollars on themselves, which included private jets, fancy vacations, and designer duds.
In Virginia, the governor’s office has been guarded on what Youngkin may do with the bills.
“The governor will review any legislation that comes to his desk, but as he reiterated during his State of the Commonwealth address, Virginia’s gun laws are already among the toughest in the nation,” Christian Martinez, Youngkin’s spokesman, said in a statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
If the governor decides to veto the bills, Democrats still have some bargaining power in their arsenal.
Youngkin is counting on them to pass a major $2 billion arena project that would bring the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals to northern Virginia. If Democrats put their foot down, Youngkin’s big deal could become a no deal.
