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RICHMOND, Va. — Today, impacted Virginians and legislative leaders strongly criticized Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto of historic legislation establishing a paid family and medical leave policy in Virginia. Due to the veto, 76% of Virginia workers – 3.5 million people – will still have no guarantee that they won’t miss a critical paycheck in order to care for themselves or their family during a serious health event.
This year Senator Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax) and Delegate Briana Sewell (D-Prince William) successfully championed the paid family and medical leave legislation. The bill would have created a state-administered insurance program to ensure a covered employee can receive paid time off to care for themselves or a family member in the event of an extended illness or serious injury. The bill would also allow parents to take time off to welcome a new baby.
“Over the last six years I’ve worked with businesses, advocates, labor unions, and state and national policy experts, to craft a policy that was responsible, realistic, and ready to work on day one,” said Senator Jennifer Boysko. “Governor Youngkin just decided to disregard all of that work in favor of an antiquated view of how our economy should treat workers and their families. This veto perfectly encapsulates my deep disappointment in Governor Youngkin’s record over the last three years. His veto on SB 373 is yet another clear example that his values and priorities are in opposition to what Virginia‘s working families actually need. Now Virginians will be forced to wait until we can elect a real pro-family governor in order to have time with their loved ones when they are most needed.”
“The message is clear. Governor Youngkin’s recent decision to veto paid family and medical leave for 3.4 million Virginia workers speaks volumes about his priorities,” said Delegate Briana Sewell. “The lack of paid leave places 78 percent of working Virginians in the incomparable position of choosing between caring for a loved one and maintaining a paycheck. How could someone not recognize the gravity of this situation? If your loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, taking time off work to be with them might mean you won’t be able to pay your rent or mortgage. If you are preparing to become a new parent and your partner is experiencing pregnancy complications, you are expected to prioritize your job over your family. Our Commonwealth can do more than simply force people to punch a clock while their families are in crisis. It is time we provide all working Virginians with paid family and medical leave to support those in need rather than forcing them to choose between work and family during tough times.”
Currently 9 states plus the District of Columbia provide some version of a paid family and medical leave policy, with four more states in the process of implementing laws that will go into effect in 2026. The United States is one of only 11 countries that fail to provide this protection to workers and their families, leaving individual states to design and establish their own policies.
“When we talk about what it takes to keep talent in Virginia, it’s not just about wages, it’s about quality of life. The Governor is wildly out of touch with what working families are facing,” said Speaker Don Scott. “When he chose to veto paid family and medical leave, he told workers that we don’t respect them, it’s that simple. Other states are showing up for working families by removing the burden of worry when they welcome home a baby or need to take time off to care for a loved one. That’s something most people will face during their lifetime, and they shouldn’t have to cross their fingers that their employer will respect them enough to give them time with their family.”
“The Governor’s veto is both out of touch and deeply hypocritical,” said Rhena Hicks, Executive Director of Freedom Virginia. “Currently state employees receive eight weeks of paid parental leave. By vetoing this legislation today, the Governor is telling millions of Virginia workers that they don’t deserve access to the same benefits the Governor’s own employees receive.”
“No parent should have to choose between paying the bills and being there for their family like my husband and I did when our son was born or when we’ve had medical needs,” said Abbey Grobe Conley, a Henrico resident affected by the lack of Paid Leave in Virginia. “My story is unfortunately not unique; too many Virginians like me are being pushed out of the workforce by the current system that does nothing to support families and reward my hard work. While I’m disappointed with this outcome, I will never stop fighting to ensure no one ever has to go through what I went through.”
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