They’re among some 50 bills where legislators rejected his amendments or – as in the contraception rights bills – simply let the amendments die without a vote.
“Particularly with regards to the bill to protect rights to contraception, I firmly believe that Virginians have a right to contraception, and it’s a position that I have been very clear about from the moment that I stepped into this public life,” Youngkin told reporters Tuesday on the Capitol grounds.
Youngkin spoke after a ceremony in which he accepted the annual tribute of three arrows, a beaver pelt and a wampum belt from the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe to mark the 311th anniversary of the St. George’s Day Peace Treaty.
“I also believe we have to protect our constitutional rights, particularly under our First Amendment,” Youngkin said, noting that he thought the amendment he had sent the legislature accomplished that. “So we’re working through how to how to ensure both,” he added.
Asked if he would veto or sign the bill, Youngkin said: “There’s other things I can do as well … I’ll let you know.”
He added: “I think this is a chance for us to affirm and commit ourselves to the right to access to contraception, but also to make sure we’re protecting our First Amendment rights as well.”
As for other bills, including proposals to end tax exemptions for the United Daughters of the Confederacy and to stop the issue of Confederate-themed license plates, Youngkin said he’s still considering what to do.
The General Assembly’s right to contraception bill said the state and localities are not allowed to enact any law or put in place any regulation that prohibits or restricts the sale or use of contraceptives.
Youngkin’s amendment said state policy is that individuals have the right to contraception as set forth in the 1965 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut and the 1972 case of Eisenstadt v. Baird.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, who sponsored the Senate measure on the right to contraception, Senate Bill 237, said Youngkin’s amendment gutted the bill. The bill was aimed at ensuring the right in case the Supreme Court later overturned its earlier decisions.
Both the Senate and the House of Delegates declined to consider the governor’s amendment during last week’s reconvened session, effectively killing it.
Both bodies rejected Youngkin’s amendments to Senate Bill 238 and House Bill 819, requiring insurance coverage for contraception. Youngkin’s amendment would have allowed health plans and employers to decline coverage for reasons of religious or ethical belief.
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin accepts three arrows as part of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe’s annual tribute to mark its 1713 treaty of peace with Virginia on Tuesday.