RICHMOND, Va. — Yesterday, the General Assembly took bipartisan action to reject Gov. Youngkin’s out-of-touch amendments on SB 1212, patroned by Sen. Stella Pekarsky (D-Fairfax), and HB 2515, patroned by Del. Adele McClure (D-Arlington), that would have kept hidden fees legal in Virginia. Following a 17-23 vote in the Senate and a 30-65 vote in the House to reject his amendments, the bills now return back to the Governor for consideration in the original form in which they passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support in February.
In response, Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Rhena Hicks released the following statement:
“After the General Assembly sent him a bill to save the average family $3,200 annually by banning hidden fees, Governor Youngkin made a choice to amend the bills to protect big corporations over Virginians,” said. “Banning hidden fees is a bipartisan and common-sense consumer protection measure. This legislation, as initially passed by the General Assembly, would ensure Virginians could keep more of what they earn. In today’s economy, hardworking people need economic relief and they need it now. We applaud the Senate and House for their bipartisan action today to reject these out-of-touch amendments that would have cost consumers money, and we urge the governor to sign the bill in its original form.”
The legislation passed in the General Assembly would help Virginians keep more of what they earn by requiring all mandatory fees on a purchase to be disclosed upfront, ensuring consumers know the total cost of a good or service before checking out and promoting truth in pricing. Banning hidden fees in consumer transactions would save the average family $3,200 annually. The legislation had bipartisan support from 77% of voters — including 81% of Democrats, 78% of Independents, and 72% of Republicans.
