From Progress Virginia – crazy stuff by Glenn Youngkin!
In Amendment, Governor Youngkin Quietly Attempts to Transform Commonsense Gun Safety Bill Into Anti-Trans Legislation
Richmond, Virginia—As part of a flurry of vetoes and amendments in the earlier part of the week, Governor Youngkin has quietly attempted to turn the text of HB 1678, a piece of legislation requiring school boards to notify parents about the importance of safe storage of firearms and medication into a bill that forcibly outs trans kids and closely mirrors HB 2182. HB 2182, a controversial bill introduced by Delegate Nick Freitas (and was previously introduced by insurrectionist gubernatorial candidate Dave LaRock) drew a firestorm of criticism from civil liberties and LGBTQ+ advocates. The bill, which was designed to force vulnerable trans students to come out before they were ready, would have made it impossible for students to talk to caring adults privately and could have put some students at risk of violence. HB 2182 was left in the House Education Committee at the outset of session, but it appears that Governor Youngkin has attempted to covertly revive the bill by shoehorning the language into the text of an unrelated piece of legislation by employing the amendment process. Notably, the Governor’s office did not draw attention to this action.
“Governor Youngkin has a problem: he knows that his extreme agenda is unpopular. Unfortunately for him, we live in a representative democracy, and Governor Youngkin is not King Youngkin,” said LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director of Progress Virginia. “Instead of trying to win elections and persuade voters to support his policy agenda, he is attempting to use legislative tricks to shoehorn in policy that our community does not support and did not vote for. It is shameful, and a violation of his oath to faithfully serve the people of Virginia. We will call him out any time we see him attempting to engage in this kind of behavior, and we will always keep fighting for dignity, safety, and opportunity for every member of our community, including vulnerable children targeted by his administration.”
Background:
HB 1678 Full Text
Youngkin’s Amendment to HB 1678
HB 2182 Full Text
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