This was 100% predictable and inevitable. But regardless, it’s still disgusting and unforgiveable.
Governor Youngkin Vetoes Right to Contraception Act for Second Consecutive Year
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Renews Call for Constitutional Amendment to Protect Reproductive Freedom
Richmond, Va — For the second year in a row, Governor Glenn Youngkin has vetoed the Right to Contraception Act, a bill passed by the Virginia General Assembly. SB 1105 (Hashmi) and HB 1716 (Price) would have guaranteed Virginians the right to access contraception and make personal health care decisions free from government interference.
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears also voted against the measure, underscoring the urgent need for stronger, permanent protections. These repeated rejections make clear that without a constitutional amendment, Virginians’ reproductive rights remain vulnerable to shifting political agendas.
Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia:
“The Governor’s veto—paired with the Lieutenant Governor’s vote against this commonsense legislation—signals a growing disconnect between state executive leadership and the values of Virginians. The right to contraception is not a partisan issue. It’s a health care issue. It’s a freedom issue. And it’s a deeply personal issue for millions of Virginians. And it must be protected from political fluctuation.
Virginia cannot afford to wait for a national crisis to come to our doorstep. It is clearer than ever that we need a constitutional amendment to ensure every Virginian has the freedom to decide if and when to grow their family. This is about protecting our health, our futures, and our fundamental rights—now and for generations to come.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia will continue working alongside legislators, partners, and community members to advance permanent protections for reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth.”
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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia (PPAV) is a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to preserve and broaden access to reproductive health care through legislation, public education, electoral activity and litigation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. PPAV works to ensure that individuals and families have the freedom, information, and ability to make their own informed reproductive choices.
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YOUNGKIN VETOES CONTRACEPTION RIGHTS — AGAIN
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Governor Sides With MAGA Extremists, Undermines Virginians’ Health and Freedom
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| RICHMOND, Va. — Americans for Contraception slammed Governor Glenn Youngkin today for vetoing the Virginia “Right to Contraception Act” (SB 1105/HB 1716), legislation that would have established a clear, statutory right for Virginians to use and for doctors to prescribe contraception without government interference. This marks the second consecutive year that Youngkin has rejected the wildly popular legislation successfully passed by Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond) and Delegate Marcia “Cia” Price (D-Newport News) through the Virginia General Assembly.
Chris Fleming, spokesperson, Americans for Contraception, stated:
“For the second year in a row, Governor Youngkin has vetoed the Virginia ‘Right to Contraception Act’—choosing to block commonsense protections for a fundamental right rather than stand with the overwhelming majority of Virginians who support it.
“This legislation would have safeguarded the right to contraception under Virginia law, ensuring it could not be stripped away by extremist politicians.
“Youngkin’s veto follows Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears’ tie-breaking vote against the bill in the Senate, making clear that the pair are working in lockstep to rubber-stamp Donald Trump’s extremist, anti-reproductive rights agenda.
“The veto comes just days after Tennessee’s Republican governor signed bipartisan legislation protecting contraception rights — proving that even some conservative states understand what’s at stake. But in Virginia, nearly every Republican lawmaker voted against the bill.
“Support for the bill was impossible to miss — from a 20-foot IUD named Freeda touring college campuses across the Commonwealth to a box of 55,000 petitions delivered by Senator Hashmi, Virginians have made clear they want contraception protected.”
Contraception Rights Are Popular but Under Threat
- But national threats are growing: Donald Trump has floated restricting birth control, Project 2025 lays out a plan to roll back certain forms of emergency contraception, and Justice Clarence Thomas wants to overturn the landmark rulings that established the right to contraception.
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About Americans for Contraception
Americans for Contraception is a national advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and expanding the right to contraception for all. Through policy advocacy, grassroots mobilization, and public education, we fight to ensure that every individual has the freedom to make their own reproductive health decisions. |
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Chairman Lamont Bagby’s Statement on Youngkin’s Veto of Right to Contraception Act
Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed the Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would have protected women’s access to birth control, including the pill, IUDs, and emergency contraceptives. DPVA Chairman Lamont Bagby released the following statement:
“Today — exactly three years after we learned Roe v. Wade would be overturned — Glenn Youngkin once again showed his true colors by vetoing the Right to Contraception Act, refusing to protect women’s access to birth control and reproductive health care.
This was a commonsense bill to safeguard a basic freedom — one that shouldn’t be up for debate in the first place. By vetoing it for a second time, Youngkin didn’t just reject reproductive freedom — he ignored the overwhelming majority of Virginians who believe the right to contraception is essential. His veto sends a clear and dangerous message: Republicans will always leave your freedoms — and your health care — on the chopping block.
When we keep and expand our majority in the House of Delegates, we will pass this bill again. When Abigail Spanberger is Governor, she will sign this bill into law because she believes in the fundamental freedom for Virginians to make their own healthcare decisions. Virginians deserve leaders who will stand up for their rights, and that’s why they will vote for Democrats in November.”
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NEW: Spanberger Statement on Youngkin’s Veto of Legislation to Protect Virginians’ Right to Contraception
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Spanberger: “Virginians Can Feel Confident That When I Am Governor, I Will Sign the Right to Contraception Act Into Law”
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RICHMOND, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after Governor Youngkin vetoed legislation that would guarantee Virginians’ right to access contraception and birth control.
“I continue to hear from Virginians who are stunned that some politicians believe our access to birth control is up for debate. Democrats in our General Assembly have worked for years to make sure Virginia remains the only Southern state not to further restrict reproductive healthcare access in the wake of the Dobbs decision. It’s past time we have a Governor who will actually put pen to paper to protect Virginians’ freedoms.
“I find it unacceptable that Virginia’s Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and some members of our General Assembly think they’re entitled to a say in when Virginians start and grow their families. I believe in Virginians’ fundamental right to privacy — and I know we must make sure that right is protected for future generations.
“Virginians can feel confident that when I am Governor, I will sign the Right to Contraception Act into law — and I will always defend their reproductive freedoms.”
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