Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities. He announced vetoes Thursday to bills that would have allowed the recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities on Thursday: bills that would have allowed the recreational retail salesof marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase.

The development, which drew criticism from Democrats who control the General Assembly, did not come as a surprise. While Youngkin had not explicitly threatened to veto either set of bills, he told reporters he didn’t think the minimum wage legislation was needed and had repeatedly said he was uninterested in setting up retail marijuana sales.

In 2021, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana, adopting a policy change that allowed adults age 21 and up to possess and cultivate the drug. But the state didn’t set up retail sales at the time and still hasn’t, due to shifts in partisan power and policy differences since then.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    1·
    8 months ago

    Youngkin and other Republicans don’t even consider the fact that people will buy weed regardless and all they’re doing is losing out on tax revenue. It likely won’t even increase the private prison population much. It’s pretty easy to hide the fact that you sell weed, especially if you can legally grow it.