Sen. Adam Ebbin: Gov. Youngkin “burns bridges with his actions and power grabs”; LG Sears “will vote reflexively with the Republican Party”; Sen. Petersen’s “amendment was poorly constructed and really ill advised”

On the Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamndi on Friday, Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria/Arlington) had some very interesting things to say about Gov. Glenn Youngkin, LG Winsome Sears, AG Jason Miyares, what’s going on in the Virginia General Assembly right now, Dan Snyder’s interest in moving to Virginia, etc.. See below for a few highlights:

• According to Sen. Ebbin, the former Deputy AG, who resigned this past week after it was reported that she’d praised the January 6th insurrectionists, has “been on Twitter defending her actions and equating them with something our former governor did, which was apples and oranges.”  Sen. Ebbin added: “I mean, we can’t have people in the government who call for the overthrow of the government. It’s that simple, and I’m surprised that Jason Miyares would associate with someone like that, much less have him in his office.”
• On Sen. Chap Petersen’s amendment to allow parents to opt their kids out of wearing masks, Sen. Ebbin said, “the amendment was poorly constructed and really ill advised. I think we’re going to see it come back to us but what I’d really rather see is an off ramp to mask mandate that’s based on science and grounded in public health rather than just a decision that we’re tired of masks.”
• On the Washington Commanders NFL team possibly moving to Virginia, Sen. Ebbin said he “tried to amend the bill that there’d be no tax dollars incentives available until after the National Football League’s investigation’s made public of the team.” Sen. Ebbin added, “I just don’t think we’ve done our due diligence to go into business with someone with those kinds of accusations against them.”
• On Gov. Youngkin reaching out (or not) to Democrats, Sen. Ebbin said he’s “schmoozing with people,” but “in terms of engaging meaningfully and recognizing that there are policy divides on issues that can only be solved with compromise, he is not engaged. He’s proposed $3.5 billion in new spending and massive tax cuts that we can’t afford to do at the same time we increase spending without a way to pay for it. And he’s not…”
• Also on Gov. Youngkin’s approach to governance, Sen. Ebbin said, “he strikes a unifying tone at his inaugural address and then he follows that minutes later with executive orders that are illegal and not within his purview. He seems to think that he has the power to do things that he just can’t do.” Also: “I’m not saying that Governor Youngkin doesn’t want to build relationships but he says things that are unifying in theme, but then he burns bridges with his actions and power grabs.”
• Finally, on whether or not LG Winsome Sears will “vote reflexively with the Republican Party,” Sen. Ebbin said, “I think she will vote reflexively with the Republican Party as she did when she broke that tie.”