MAGA Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed bills that would have guaranteed workers access to paid family and medical leave and paid sick leave and increased the minimum wage.
This is predictable from Youngkin, a hedge-fund multimillionaire, seeing him side with big-money interests against the interests of hourly workers.
“Instead of standing up for the hardworking families who need help the most, the governor is choosing to advance his extreme, out-of-touch agenda, putting politics before the safety and well-being of our communities,” said State Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Richmond, who was elected to the chair position of the Democratic Party of Virginia this past weekend.
And here we were told that the plurality for Donald Trump back a few months ago was a workers’ revolt over higher prices making it hard for families to make ends meet.
If that was indeed the case, MAGA voters aren’t getting what they told their MAGA electeds they want and need, which is, help.
We’ll start here with the paid family and medical leave bill, HB 2531, patroned by Del. Briana Sewell, D-Prince William, which would set a new program into motion on Jan. 1, 2027, with premiums assessed to employers and employees, with benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2028.
The bill provides that the amount of a benefit is 80 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage, not to exceed 120 percent of the state weekly wage, which amount is required to be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the statewide average weekly wage.
The bill caps the duration of paid leave at 12 weeks in any application year and provides self-employed individuals the option of participating in the program.
Youngkin, in his veto statement, cited the cost of the paid family and medical leave program set up by HB 2531, estimated to reach $2 billion by fiscal-year 2030.
“Only 14 states impose mandatory paid family leave on employers, and only 12 of those mandate participation in a government run program. The states that mandate government-run paid family leave programs, such as California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware, have struggled to maintain competitive job growth, attract corporate relocation, secure capital investment, and retain population,” Youngkin wrote in his veto statement, issued on Monday.
“Virginia aligns with high-growth states such as Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, which have seen strong population and job growth while fostering business-friendly environments. These states promote voluntary, private sector paid family leave solutions rather than imposing broad-based mandates that may deter investment and job creation,” Youngkin wrote.
Left unsaid there: the states that Youngkin is trying to “align” Virginia with are among the states with the lowest average hourly wages in the U.S.
“Paid leave is vital to attracting and retaining a strong workforce and would have strengthened Virginia’s economy by ensuring workers can care for their loved ones without risking their livelihoods,” Sewell said, in response to the governor’s veto.
“I am disheartened for the small business owners who want to provide this benefit to remain competitive with large companies, the patients and caregivers who struggle to receive essential care and support their loved ones on their darkest days, and as if being a parent is not hard enough, those who will continue to make the impossible choice of caring for their child and keeping food on the table. Virginia deserves better,” Sewell said.
A related bill, HB 1921, patroned by Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, would require that any Virginia worker – whether employed privately or by local or state governments – be given at least one hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked, starting on Jan. 1, 2026.
The legislation would give more than a million low- and moderate-income Virginia workers access to paid sick leave, according to Kim Bobo, the co-executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
“Workers in higher-paying jobs usually have this benefit, but two-thirds of grocery store workers, 25 percent of health care workers and most restaurant workers do not,” Bobo said.
Youngkin, in his veto statement on this one, wrote that employers “must have the flexibility to design leave and benefit policies that fit their workforce rather than be subject to a one-size-fits-all government mandate. Indeed, many employers choose to offer paid sick leave as an employee benefit.”
“Small employers may be unable to comply with this mandate, leading to them to cut back on the number of employees or close altogether,” Youngkin wrote. “Certain businesses are also justifiably concerned the legislation will impose complicated and unnecessary compliance challenges from their multi-state operations.
“Ultimately, the bill would increase the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth and adversely impact our business climate,” Youngkin wrote.
Finally, to the minimum-wage bill – HB 1928, also patroned by Ward, would incrementally increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2027.
“Since 2020, prices in Virginia have shot up 22 percent, more than double what we expected, but wages haven’t kept pace,” said Sophie McGinley, labor policy analyst for the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. “The math is simple. When a gallon of milk costs 22 percent more, but wages only went up 3.4 percent, working families fall behind.”
MAGA uses different math.
“The free market for salaries and wages works. It operates dynamically, responding to the nuances of varying economic conditions and regional differences. This wage mandate imperils market freedom and economic competitiveness,” Youngkin wrote in his veto statement.
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Chris Graham
