Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a popular bill passed by the Democratic-led legislature that would allow retail sales of marijuana, apparently because the legislature killed a planned major sport-complex development in northern Virginia Youngkin championed, Politico reports.
Virginia allows for medical cannabis sales and already allows recreational users to grow their personal plants thanks to a law passed in 2021, but the law required another legislative step to legalize retail sales. That happened thanks to Democrats taking over the legislature earlier this year.
In the meantime, Youngkin had negotiated with Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Washington Capitols (NHL), Wizards (NBA) and Mystics (WNBA), to move his entire operation to a new bespoke entertainment facility in the DC suburbs. At a cost of $2 billion. Two billion dollars the legislature had not appropriated. The deal fell through; days later, Leonsis extended the lease of his DC facilities until 2050; and Youngkin kills a popular bill favored by the Democrats out of revenge. This is why we can’t have nice things.