Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Virginia Mercury reports:
In the first signals of how he’ll act on legislation approved by Virginia’s Democratic General Assembly, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a largely symbolic bill protecting same-sex marriage but took a more adversarial stance to bills dealing with gun control, reproductive rights and marijuana.
Youngkin had until Friday night to take action on 84 bills the legislature sent to him on a shorter-than-usual timeline. He vetoed eight, recommended changes to 12 and signed the rest.
In one of his more surprising moves, Youngkin signed a Democratic-sponsored bill meant to ensure that same-sex marriage remains legal in Virginia regardless of any future court decisions. Youngkin’s office largely emphasized the faith-based exemptions in the bill allowing clergy and religious organizations to decline to perform same-sex weddings.
The Washington Blade reports:
“Two years into his term, Gov. Youngkin has shown leadership and inclusivity, and has finally listened to his constituents with his signing of HB 174,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman in a statement. “The bill passed through the General Assembly with support from both parties, at a time when more than 70 percent of Virginians support marriage equality.”
Glenn Youngkin signs bill that codifies marriage equality in Va. law https://t.co/Cmn1hKmFb7
— Washington Blade (@WashBlade) March 10, 2024
Tonight Gov. Youngkin took action on a range of legislation – we are glad to see that he signed HB 174, a bipartisan bill that will update Virginia’s code to ensure that every couple – including same-sex couples and interracial couples – cannot be denied marriage licenses. 🧵
— Equality Virginia (@EqualityVA) March 9, 2024
My roundup of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s bill moves last night:
Ban on legacy admissions – ✅
Protecting marriage equality -✅
Gun control – ❌
Rejoining ERIC – ❌
Getting tougher against book bans – ❌https://t.co/9vzIvIkulx— Graham Moomaw (@gmoomaw) March 9, 2024