As the legislative session in Virginia comes to an end, a large number of bills are headed to the governor’s office for his approval. The first round of bills came to the governor’s office on March 8, where Governor Youngkin reviewed 84 bills that passed the General Assembly.

Youngkin signed 64 bills into law, returned 12 bills for amendments, and vetoed 8 bills. These bills addressed a wide range of topics, ranging from providing affordable housing to implementing stricter drug regulations.

“These bills cover a wide range of topic areas but demonstrate my continuing commitment to lowering the cost of living for Virginians, streamlining regulations, supporting our veterans, ensuring safe communities, and improving government efficiency,” Youngkin said.

On March 14, 50 more bills were also acted upon by the governor, with 30 passing and 20 vetoed.

“[The vetoed bills] would undermine the progress we have made over the past two years to make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Youngkin said.

Among the bills that the governor vetoed included ones such as HB 46/SB 47, which would have created more stringent firearms regulations, and HB 1177, which would have re-enrolled Virginia in the Electronic Registration Information Center, an organization focused on electoral integrity. The latter bill was particularly contentious for the governor, with issues surrounding the 2020 presidential election as the reason why Virginia withdrew from the organization.

As more bills head to the governor’s office, several more bills will be decided upon by the governor, with the deadline for the next round of bills being April 30.