Richmond, VA — This week, several laws that will make Virginia safer, healthier, and more inclusive will go into effect. From crucial gun safety reforms and voting rights protections, to raises for state employees such as teachers and sheriff’s deputies, the legislation passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly will continue helping Virginians all across the commonwealth. Glenn Youngkin, on the other hand, opposes this critical progress.
On Gun Safety Reforms
Youngkin has stated that when it comes to gun safety reforms, he is 100% inflexible in his opposition.
"I will not sign a piece of legislation that has anything to do with imposing limitations on our Second Amendment.” —Glenn Youngkin
"So let's first start with the question, which was, what Second Amendment legislation would you support? And I think we need to be fully clear. None.” —Glenn Youngkin
Youngkin’s extreme, NRA-approved position puts him at odds with HB 1992, a commonsense measure that prohibits someone convicted of domestic violence from purchasing or possessing a firearm for three years.
On Voting Rights Protections
Youngkin is also opposed to the new voting rights reforms to expand absentee and mail-in voting and make it easier for voters with disabilities to vote outside a polling place. Donald Trump’s hand picked candidate has based his entire campaign on an “election integrity task force,” which would make absentee and mail-in voting more difficult, among other methods of voter suppression. Youngkin spent months lying about the 2020 election, is committed to the hardline Republican agenda of restricting voting rights, and has advanced the Big Lie -- which he calls the “most important issue” in this campaign.
On Protecting and Expanding Health Care
Starting this week, over 750,000 Virginians on Medicaid stand to receive comprehensive dental benefits for the first time. Health experts have praised this expansion as “life changing” and essential to protecting Virginians’ overall health, employment prospects, and wellbeing. But Glenn Youngkin has derided Medicaid expansion as a “sad thing” and opposed the Affordable Care Act -- a direct attack on hundreds of thousands of Virginians’ health care.
And this week, around 30,000 home health care workers who serve Medicaid enrollees will be guaranteed paid sick time for the first time in Virginia history. Youngkin opposes expanding paid sick, family, and medical leave to all Virginians, and opposes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“Glenn Youngkin never lets good policy that helps people get in the way of his extreme Republican partisanship,” said Manuel Bonder, DPVA spokesman. “While Virginia Democrats continue working to move Virginia forward and protect communities all across the commonwealth, Youngkin is threatening to drag us backwards.”
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