Virginia’s Governor is taking heat from within her own party for shooting down several top Democratic priorities like legalizing recreational cannabis, establishing a board to regulate prescription drug prices, and collective bargaining.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger set a state record for the most vetoes issued by a governor whose own party controlled the legislature.
“It’s contradictory to make your whole campaign about affordability and leave this most important component out,” said State Sen. Lashrecse Aird.
Patrice Summers, a public service worker from Prince William County, says she stood along Spanberger on the campaign trail and watched as Democrats worked to pass a collective bargaining bill for public workers this past session. Then her mouth hit the floor when Spanberger vetoed the bill.
“Be patient, wait again, wait till next year — no, that’s unacceptable. This was an opportunity to make a real difference, and the governor dropped the ball,” she said. “Shame on you, Gov. Spanberger for breaking your promise. You looked us in the eye, you walked alongside us as we put boots on the ground for you.”
Just last week, Spanberger held a bill signing event at Inova Fairfax, signing several bills aimed at addressing healthcare costs, health insurance and drug prices. Then this week, she vetoed a bipartisan bill to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.
“We’ve done a lot this session to work on affordability. That’s one [veto] that I’m disappointed in, but like I said, I’m not despondent,” said Virginia House Speaker Don Scott.
In her veto, the Governor said, in part quote, “Prescription Drug Affordability Boards are expensive undertakings that other states have either repealed or are considering repealing due to costs and ineffectiveness.”
Even Republicans expressed frustration with this, some calling it a win for Big Pharma.
Republicans and Second Amendment supporters are also angry about Spanberger’s passage of bans and restrictions on assault weapons.
There’s also frustration among labor groups and people who are pro cannabis.
“Virginians are disappointed,” Aird said. “I am certainly disappointed.”
Aird carried the bill this session to establish an adult recreational use marketplace for cannabis. The Governor vetoed it.
“It’s important we have a retail marijuana market because, again, the gray area is not one that is long-term tenable, but we have to get it right,” Spanberger said.
Virginia has been working on this bill for more than 6 years. In fact, the General Assembly passed a previous version in 2021. Aird says the bill is good and Virginia is ready.
Virginia’s Constitution is unique, as it allows the General Assembly to legislate through the budget.
When asked if she anticipates trying to get the adult use cannabis bill passed this year through the budget, Aird said, “Well there are a number of significant challenges with the budget as it exists before us. To try to place policy of this nature with language and its revenue implications would simply be unprecedented.”
Scott says while he is frustrated with some of the Governor’s vetoes, he says it’s important to point out that she has signed more than 1,100 bills passed this year.
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