Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities. He announced vetoes Thursday to bills that would have allowed the recreational retail sales of marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed two top Democratic legislative priorities on Thursday: bills that would have allowed the recreational retail salesof marijuana to begin next year and measures mandating a minimum wage increase.

The development, which drew criticism from Democrats who control the General Assembly, did not come as a surprise. While Youngkin had not explicitly threatened to veto either set of bills, he told reporters he didn’t think the minimum wage legislation was needed and had repeatedly said he was uninterested in setting up retail marijuana sales.

In 2021, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana, adopting a policy change that allowed adults age 21 and up to possess and cultivate the drug. But the state didn’t set up retail sales at the time and still hasn’t, due to shifts in partisan power and policy differences since then.

  • Flying Squid
    95•3 个月前

    Youngkin and other Republicans don’t even consider the fact that people will buy weed regardless and all they’re doing is losing out on tax revenue. It likely won’t even increase the private prison population much. It’s pretty easy to hide the fact that you sell weed, especially if you can legally grow it.

      • Flying Squid
        18•3 个月前

        Yep. I’m in Indiana by the Illinois border. I just drive half an hour to the closest Illinois dispensary. Yes, I’m paying high taxes. I’m okay with that. Alcohol has an excise tax on it too.

        • @NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
          14•3 个月前

          I pay more than I used to here in NJ now that I buy it legal, but I figure the more tax revenue it brings to my state, the faster we get national legalization. Money talks

          • Flying Squid
            13•3 个月前

            I figure the more tax revenue it brings to my state, the faster we get national legalization.

            100% agreed. The more politicians can figure out that weed is a major cash cow like cigarettes and alcohol, the more will be in favor of legalization.

            And (although I hate it) now that major corporations are getting involved, they’ll have the clout to start really lobbying hard.

        • Aniki 🌱🌿English
          2•3 个月前

          You won’t be paying that much for long. Here in MA when stores opened a gram of wax was upwards of 80 dollars and now its down to 20 with discounts. Stores will just give you an 8th of weed as a bonus. My dispensary sells a 1/2g pre-roll for 3 bucks with tax when you spend over 50 bucks. If you have a medical card its even cheaper. I don’t because guns.

          • Flying Squid
            3•3 个月前

            They aren’t making you pay the tax on it. They’re covering the tax for you because they can afford to with their profit margins.

            • Logi
              0•3 个月前

              That’s what you call a distinction without a difference.

              • Flying Squid
                2•3 个月前

                It’s a difference because the customer saves money and the dispensary loses money, just not enough to seriously eat into their profits.