RICHMOND, Va. — On May 17, Governor Youngkin vetoed the Right to Contraception Act (HB609/SB237), a bill that passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support and would have protected the right of people to use and doctors to prescribe contraception, including the pill, IUDs, emergency contraceptives, and condoms. The Governor once again has shown that his political agenda and aligning with extremists are more important than the will of Virginians. ACLU of Virginia Policy and Legislative Counsel Breanna Diaz released the following statement:
“Though it was no less than we expected, we are disappointed that Governor Youngkin chose to ignore the will of a majority of Virginians who support the right to contraception, and side with extremists who will stop at nothing short of blocking access to all reproductive healthcare.
“Despite the fact that Virginians have overwhelmingly and repeatedly shown strong support for reproductive freedom, evidenced by the more than 37,000 petitions delivered to the Governor’s desk in support of this bill, Governor Youngkin chose to veto it. In addition to the community, the bill was supported by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and legislators on both sides of the aisle. Governor Youngkin's veto ignored the will of the majority of Virginians, lawmakers, and experts.
“The Right to Contraception Act was a direct response to the urgent need to protect reproductive freedom in the face of growing threats nationwide to reproductive healthcare – including contraception. We stand at a critical juncture in Virginia’s legislative history with Governor Youngkin’s decision to veto the Right to Contraception Act. His veto goes against the will of most Virginians and undermines our fundamental rights to reproductive healthcare and privacy without government interference. Actions like these are why it’s important that Virginia adopt a state constitutional amendment protecting the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which includes abortion and contraception. We will continue to fight for the reproductive freedom of all Virginians.”
