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Gov. Glenn Youngkin completed action last week on Virginia’s budget and legislation passed by the General Assembly, closing a contentious budget cycle marked by dozens of additional vetoes and renewed criticism of his approach to working with lawmakers.
Youngkin vetoed 38 more bills, bringing his four-year total to 437. That surpassed former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s previous record by 317 vetoes. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell argued that the volume was unprecedented and said Youngkin did not discuss his budget vetoes with the General Assembly beforehand.
By comparison, former governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine each worked with legislatures controlled by the opposing party and generally vetoed fewer than 10 bills per session.
Surovell said the record conflicts with Youngkin’s campaign promise to pursue bipartisan compromise. Some vetoed measures had passed unanimously, while one procedural cleanup bill sponsored by Surovell received only two opposing votes across four committee hearings and six floor sessions. According to Surovell, most vetoes arrived without advance notice or discussion.
Youngkin reverses course on capital spending
The governor also issued 37 line-item vetoes affecting the state budget, saying Virginia needed to limit spending and protect its reserves amid economic uncertainty.
Those actions included vetoes of $900 million in capital spending, much of which Youngkin had proposed in his December budget. Surovell said this marked the second consecutive year in which the governor rejected spending proposals he initially introduced.
Virginia currently holds a record $4 billion in combined reserves. That total includes constitutionally required Rainy Day Fund deposits and a separate revenue reserve established by the General Assembly. The reserves are part of budgeting practices intended to preserve Virginia’s triple-A bond rating and keep taxpayer borrowing costs low.
Surovell contended that construction spending could help support multiple industries during an economic downturn. He also warned that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration could raise project costs if work is delayed by even six months.
Housing, health and parks funding cut
Youngkin’s budget actions eliminated funding for a new first-time homebuyer program and rental assistance designed to help young people facing high housing costs.
The governor also rejected a General Assembly proposal to expand Medicaid access to weight-loss medications by lowering the required body mass index. Lawmakers proposed eligibility at a BMI of at least 35, or 30 for people with diabetes. For someone who is 5 feet 10 inches tall, those thresholds correspond to roughly 235 pounds and 200 pounds, respectively.
The rejection saves Virginia taxpayers $7 million but gives up $40 million in federal matching funds, according to Surovell. He argued that limiting access could also increase future public spending on health problems associated with obesity.
Additional vetoes affected investments in geriatric and dementia services for nursing-home residents, community violence-reduction grants and more than $20 million intended to address an estimated $400 million maintenance backlog at Virginia state parks.
Youngkin also vetoed tens of millions of dollars for stormwater mitigation, Hurricane Helene relief and environmental education programs.
The regular budget cycle represented one of Youngkin’s final opportunities to negotiate a bipartisan agreement before his term ends. Surovell accused the governor of favoring unilateral and partisan decision-making over consensus with the legislative branch and expressed hope that Virginia’s next governor would take a different approach.