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1.) Governor Youngkin announced his final action on another 60 bills this week, signing 36, amending two, and vetoing 22. The list and the links to his explanations can be found (here). For those who voted in our contest that Governor Youngkin would veto over 100 bills (easily a record) are nearing victory. This round, Governor Youngkin vetoed bills that he said would weaken public safety by reducing sentences and he vetoed a bill that would have opened police jobs to non-citizen DACA arrivals. 2.) Democrats in Virginia are refusing to negotiate with Governor Youngkin while he is on his "backward budget" tour (here). But Governor Youngkin is right to expose how Democrats slipped a $ 1 billion "business-to-business" digital tax into the budget without a single hearing, almost no economic analysis, and zero input from the business community. This bill will make Virginia one of the only states to tax business-to-business transactions. The Thomas Jefferson Institute has written extensively about the secretive way in which this tax was passed (here and here), the lack of understanding by legislators about how this tax works (here), and the negative impact this tax will have on Virginia's business community and the pocketbooks of consumers (here). For even more insights from the Thomas Jefferson Institute on this terrible digital tax, read here and here.
Send Governor Younkgkin an email at: glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov or leave him a message at: (804) 786-2211 and tell him to veto the tax on digital business-to-business transactions!
3.) A federal lawsuit has been filed to halt the construction of Dominion's offshore wind project because of its impact on endangered whales (here). The Thomas Jefferson Institute's Steve Haner explained the predicament for Virginia -- if construction is halted, ratepayers (you and me) are on the hook to pay for the incomplete project, and if construction continues, ratepayers are on the hook (here). Sadly, dead whales continue to pile up...
4.) The Wall Street Journal editorialized in favor of Governor Youngkin vetoing the increase and expansion of the minimum wage (here). They argue that wages exceed the proposed minimum in Northern Virginia, and in the south, where wages lag, they are currently increasing at a faster rate. A mandated bump in the minimum wage could harm the businesses in those regions and leave lower-skilled workers out of work. The Thomas Jefferson Institute has called for the Governor to veto this increase (here).
5.) If all this bad news is giving you a headache, order a "cocktail to go" now that Gov. Youngkin has signed the legislation making them legal (here)!
6.) Governor Youngkin's Wizards and Capitals stadium deal continues to be in the news with Ted Leonsis now in talks with Maryland about building the stadium there (here). Gov. Youngkin remains committed to putting the stadiums in Potomac Yards while Sen. Lucas remains opposed. I suggest they both order a "to go" cocktail to get to know one another better and to come to an agreement on a budget that will not harm the Commonwealth.
7.) Slot Machines…err…skills games could end up being vetoed in the fight over the Potomac Yard Stadium funding (here). These machines, which could end up in every convenience store in the Commonwealth, deserve to be rejected, despite the bipartisan vote in their favor. These games are addictive, hurt the poor the most, and will expose our children to the world of gaming.
8.) In a fight over the naming of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which the Governor renamed the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion, the Democrats passed a bill that would divert the funds from this office to fund loans for qualified, licensed cannabis sellers if the Governor doesn't change the name back to equity (here). Is this really the messaging the Democrats want? Change "opportunity" back to "equity" or we will use the funds for our other top priority of helping cannabis dealers in low-income communities? Talk about backward thinking….
9.) Speaking of DEI (or DOI), Governor Youngkin's Education Secretary is reviewing the Syllabi from diversity-themed courses at George Mason University on "just societies" and Virginia Commonwealth University on "racial literacy" (here). These programs are worthy of review and we look forward to learning what is being taught.
10.) Speaking of cannabis, Gov. Youngkin has yet to act on the plethora of cannabis bills on his desk. Governor Youngkin should veto the cannabis bills and keep "Opportunity" in the bill…maybe then the funds can go back to taxpayers!
11.) While we have made much of teacher resignations in Virginia (here) and student absenteeism, having the Superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools go AWOL for a month and then resign (here) is a new low for Virginia's public schools. Students in low-income communities like Petersburg deserve better -- much better. Governor Youngkin and Democrats need to set their politics aside and make improving schools in these communities a priority! Governor Youngkin should redirect every added dollar for education in the budget to scholarships for low-income students in failing school districts!
12.) Henrico police, channeling Chicago, California, and New York, have decided to stop responding to shoplifting and marijuana calls (here). Maybe not the message we should be sending?
13.) Highly regarded JMU President Jonathan Alger is leaving for American University (here).
14.) While teens can apparently be trusted to make decisions about altering their gender, they apparently can't be trusted to work late, or too many hours, or use a meat slicer at Jersey Mike's which was just fined $108,161 for Fair Labor Standard Act violations at multiple locations in Loudoun County (here). As someone who used to work the midnight shift at the local 7-11 in high school, I believe work is good for teens, and a little risk ought not to prevent that work. Anyone growing up on a farm surely understands...
15.) Former Delegate David Yancey warned that the insurance penalties for supposedly "bad faith claims" in legislation on Governor Youngkin's desk would significantly increase insurance premiums (here). The Thomas Jefferson Institute has called for this bill to be vetoed (here).
16.) Governor Youngkin's plan for a small modular reactor (SMR/Nuclear) in Southwest Virginia took a hit this week as the Governor announced other sites are more likely to be chosen (here). The growing solar movement in this region is getting significant opposition as massive solar farms are scarring the landscape but only producing enough energy to fuel moderately sized data centers (here). At the same time, the region is building or proposing to build multiple data centers that could never be serviced by these existing solar farms.
17.) Virginia-based Alliance Defending Freedom negotiated a settlement to their 2020 lawsuit in Virginia that will protect the right of religious groups like schools and charities to limit employment to people who align with their beliefs (here). As the birthplace of religious freedom in the United States, it is sad that this case needed to be filed in the Commonwealth!
18.) For the last two weeks, I have mentioned the historically high Clery Law fines ($14 million) that Liberty University is facing. This week, Edward Palm wrote in the Roanoke Times that the Clery evidence includes a report of a rape allegation against a "former Liberty President" (here). I remain hopeful that General Costin will restore Liberty University to the original vision of its founder.
19.) A little bipartisanship occurred this week as Attorney General Jason Miyares and Speaker Don Scott joined in Norfolk to praise the crime reduction achieved through Virginia's Operation Ceasefire (here). This program, which emphasizes both prosecution and community interventions, has reduced overall crime in Portsmouth by 5 percent and violent crime by 8 percent. We need more of this!
20.) Speaking of Operation Ceasefire, Governor Youngkin and his wife announced that his first quarter salary would be donated to Straight Street and Bradley Free Clinic in Roanoke Virginia. Straight Street helps homeless youth as a part of Operation Ceasefire while Bradley Free Clinic's HOPE initiative is fighting substance abuse and is educating the community on the dangers of fentanyl. | 
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