Memorial Day has come and gone. A Star Wars movie is in theaters, neighborhood pools are open, and seersucker season is officially upon us. What more could one ask for?
How about an update on actions from the Virginia General Assembly? You may be scratching your head in confusion as they adjourned Sine die on March 14. The work of the “part-time” citizen legislature never stops. Since then, the Governor reviewed and acted on legislation, Virginians went to the polls to vote on the General Assembly’s authority to draw Congressional districts, the Virginia and U.S. Supreme Courts made rulings on said vote, the General Assembly held a Reconvene Session in response to the Governor’s actions, and she then made final decisions on legislation from this Session. The one thing that did not happen during this time was the passage of a biannual budget; a topic for a future article.
This article series will highlight legislative actions that have occurred in the “off-season”. This first article will look at the initial bills vetoed by the Governor, all of which were sustained. As shown in the chart below, 1,156 bills reached Governor Spanberger’s desk. Prior to the Reconvene Session, she initially vetoed 8 bills and made recommendations on 180. A future article will examine the Governor’s recommendations and their final status.
| Governor | Bills sent to the Governor | Initial Vetoes | Governor Recommendations | Post Reconvene Vetoes | Total Vetoes |
| Youngkin | 840 | 26 | 116 | 7 | 33 |
| Spanberger | 1,156 | 8 | 180 | 23 | 31 |
Initial Vetoes
HB86 (Laufer): Establishes a Mattress Stewardship Program within the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to provide for the collection and recycling of discarded mattresses in the Commonwealth.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: Mandating that all mattress retailers participate in a single recycling program would increase their prices and make the program unworkable.
HB637 (Callsen): Creates the offense of possession of residue of a controlled substance with a
tiered system of punishment.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: These code changes would limit a Commonwealth Attorney’s discretion and limit those charged with crimes in this section from accessing Virginia’s drug courts and their substance abuse treatment programs.
HB1288/SB17 (Wiley/Suetterlein): Would increase the maximum value of property that may be sold at public auction to satisfy a lien on a motor vehicle without petitioning for a court order.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: Prefers court orders be used at the current threshold amounts instead of increasing the vehicles that may be sold at public auction through the DMV’s administrative process.
SB23 (Salim): Prohibits plea agreements and court orders executed or entered on or after July 1, 2026, from containing any provision that waives a defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: This limits plea agreement options for defendants and Commonwealth’s Attorneys as they seek negotiated resolutions.
SB661 (Rouse): Creates the legal and regulatory framework for the skills games to operate in Virginia.
Summary of Governor’s Explanation: Without a single independent entity regulating all forms of gaming (i.e. a Gaming Commission), Virginia is not able to ensure that gaming can operate in a manner that is safe and legal.
SB756 (Surovell): Allows a casino to be placed in Fairfax County.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: Concerned that Fairfax is not supportive of this policy and strips their authority to make this decision.
SB764 (Stanley): Permits a trial court in a criminal matter to suspend the driver’s license of a defendant when deferring disposition. The bill also allows a trial court to defer judgment for a violation of driving while intoxicated and require that the defendant participate in and successfully complete an alcohol safety action program, and prohibit the defendant from operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system.
Summary of Governor’s Veto Explanation: Concerned that these changes pre-empt a Commonwealth Attorney’s ability to prosecute. Additionally, she expressed concerns over impaired drivers being on the roads during the deferral.
Next week’s article will look more in-depth at the amendments made by the Governor, the General Assembly’s actions, and the final status of legislation.
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