General Assembly’s Veto Session begins

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gambling regulations, school construction and the state budget were on the agenda for Virginia lawmakers returning to Richmond on Wednesday to consider Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed amendments to legislation and his record number of vetoes.

Democrats who control the General Assembly don’t have the numbers to override Youngkin’s vetoes without GOP support, but their leaders have signaled that they plan to reject many of his proposed changes, including most of those he made to the two-year budget bill. Youngkin’s rewrite of the spending plan — he’s submitted more than 200 amendments — was so extensive, it exceeded the governor’s authority, legislative leaders say.

“If you think of the governor as a surgeon, the Constitution authorizes nips and tucks, but not organ transplants. And his 233 amendments are trying to give the budget a new heart, lungs and kidneys,” said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Scott Surovell, who predicted lawmakers would reject the vast majority of Youngkin’s proposed changes to that bill.

Prior to Wednesday’s so-called reconvened session, Democratic lawmakers spent weeks publicly at odds with the governor over the budget that they sent him in a bipartisan vote on the final day of their regular session.