Lawmakers, advocates react to Youngkin’s veto of Right to Contraception Act

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) is facing some backlash after vetoing two bills to establish a person’s right to contraception in Virginia.

On Friday, Youngkin vetoed Senate Bill 237 and House Bill 609 , which would have protected Virginians’ access to contraception like IUDs, condoms and birth control. Advocates say the bills were necessary after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called previous rulings on contraception access into question .

Lara Bury, a resident of the Springfield area of Fairfax County, said her daughter uses birth control to help manage what her mom calls hormonal ovarian issues.

“The way to manage these symptoms for her was birth control. And with birth control and medical care, my daughter has the freedom to live her life now and to safeguard her future family when or if she chooses,” Bury told reporters on Monday. “Her medical options, our medical options should be protected, not used by politicians where the end result is harm to women.”

In his veto statement , Governor Youngkin said he supports contraception access, but said he vetoed the bills because they could allow people to sue medical professionals “acting in their expert judgment.”

Youngkin also said the bills “fail to include adequate conscience clause protections for providers.”

However, Del. Cia Price (D-Newport News), who wrote the House version of the contraception bill, said the bills don’t require providers to prescribe contraception and federal protections are already in place for people with strongly-held religious beliefs.

“The bill is directed toward localities and state government saying that Virginia localities and Virginia state government cannot do any ordinance or law that would impede the access. That’s all this simple bill does,” Price said.

Price and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield), who wrote the Senate version of the bill, have promised to bring bills protecting contraception back next year.

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