Virginia governor signs 64 bills into law, vetoes 8 others as legislative session winds down

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin took final action late Friday on 84 pieces of legislation, signing 64 bills into law and vetoing eight others, including legislation that would add more restrictions on firearm transfers.

Youngkin, a Republican, had a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday to act on the legislation sent to him by the Democratic-led General Assembly last week. The governor usually has 30 days to take action on legislation, but a 7-day deadline applies to bills sent to his office before the last week of the legislative session, which is scheduled to end Saturday.

Most of the bills were not highly contentious. The 64 bills Youngkin signed into law had bipartisan support, including legislation to enshrine the legality of same-sex marriage in Virginia in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court reverses its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

The legislation provides state-level protections by prohibiting the denial of marriage licenses on the basis of sex, gender or race and requiring that lawful marriages be recognized by the state. It allows religious organizations or members of the clergy the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

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