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Virginia’s New GOP Governor Ends Vaccine Mandate for State Employees, Mask Mandates in Schools
epoch times ^ | 15 January A.D. 2022 | Terri Wu

Posted on 01/15/2022 1:25:52 PM PST by lightman

Glenn Youngkin, the first Republican to win the state of Virginia since 2009, was sworn in as the state’s 74th governor on Jan. 15.

Within hours of his inauguration, he signed 11 executive actions including lifting the mask mandate in Virginia schools and “ending divisive concepts, including critical race theory, in public education.”

He also signed an executive directive rescinding the vaccine mandate for all state employees.

The 55-year-old former business executive, in his inauguration speech at Richmond, emphasized a “common path forward” with “our deep and abiding respect for individual freedom.” Youngkin vowed to strengthen and renew the “spirit of Virginia” associated with the history of the state as the home of American democracy. He credited Virginians with the spirit of tenacity, grit, and resilience.

Youngkin said he was “ready to lead and serve, starting on day one,” and it would start in the classroom to get Virginia’s children “career and college ready.” The crowd of an estimated size of 6,000 burst into a loud cheer upon hearing from Youngkin that he would “remove politics from the classroom.”

“Virginia is open for business,” Youngkin promised to create 400,000 new jobs and 10,000 new startups in the four years of his administration by reducing regulations and increasing job-related training.

According to him, residents of the commonwealth will see the “largest tax rebate in Virginia’s history.” In addition, he promised to “fully fund” and “return respect to” law enforcement. ‘Hope’ and ‘Optimism’

Voters echoed the sentiment of “hope” and “optimism” highlighted in Youngkin’s speech.

“I’m excited because we have somebody in here who’s willing to fight like we do, just on a higher level,” said Shirley Green while waiting to join the inauguration ceremony. Improving the school system was the first step she wanted the new administration to take. And she was “optimistic” that the Youngkin administration would deliver their campaign promise because of their “humility” and “passion for Virginians.”

Green grew up as a Democrat in the District of Columbia metropolitan area but became a conservative 13 years ago. She said she had found the Democratic Party having a different vision than “working for the people.” Epoch Times Photo Shirley Green at the public entrance to the Capitol Square in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

“I feel great. It’s a great day for Virginia,” said Joe. He and his wife attended the inauguration ceremony in “Youngkin vests,” the same style of fleece vests Youngkin often wore on his campaign trail. The couple owns a local safety business and prefers not to disclose their names. The previous Virginia administration “didn’t always take in consideration of the people” in its decision-making, said the wife.

“Education is the number one concern,” she said, adding that parents among their employees and employees at their client organizations—Republicans, independents, and Democrats—voted for Youngkin “because of their concerns for their families.”

Aiden Sheahan and Alyson Bucker with the University of Virginia were among a group of five college students and graduates who also attended the ceremony. They made phone calls and door-to-door visits for the Youngkin campaign. Sheahan said he saw “a lot of optimism” during the campaign; people had hopes that many things, including jobs, the standard of living, and policies, would change with the new governor. Epoch Times Photo Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears (C) waves during the Inauguration address for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on the steps of the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The group described the new Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, a black American who immigrated from Jamaica, as “confident” and “powerful.”

“She doesn’t use her skin color, her circumstances, or her identity to promote herself. She used her accomplishments, rather than something she cannot control, to promote herself,” added Matthew Carpenter, a recent college graduate from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Challenges from Day One

The former executive who campaigned as a political outsider will face challenges working with a state legislature with divided party control, and some priorities facing deadlocks.

The General Assembly session began on Jan. 12, with a newly empowered Republican majority (52–48) in the State House, and a Senate where Democrats still hold a 21–19 majority.

In the next 60 days, lawmakers will review and adopt a two-year state budget proposed by former Governor Ralph Northam on Dec. 16. Youngkin has already said “the recognition of the need for tax cuts is understated” in Northam’s plan.

The new Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert announced education, inflation, and public safety as Virginia House GOP’s agenda for 2022. By comparison, House Democrats’ “top priority is to protect the advances they made against Republican efforts to roll them back,” in three key areas: supporting public schools, keeping families healthy, and ensuring economic security for all.

With a Democrat-controlled House and Senate in the past two years, former Democratic Governor Northam signed into law in 2020 a series of liberal measures, including increased gun control, lifting abortion restrictions, and relaxed voter requirements.

“I think we have a Governor-elect who is going to come in and do something about some of our school problems, introduce our freedoms, and be more protective of law enforcement. And I think that gives us a lot of hope,” veteran Republican State Senator Steve Newman told ABC13 a day before the inauguration.

An inaugural parade followed the ceremony. On Sunday, the three-day events will close with an open house at the governor’s mansion. Along with Youngkin, Winsome Sears was sworn in on Saturday as the Lieutenant Governor and Jason Miyares as the Attorney General. Sears will hold the tie-breaking vote in the State Senate.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: glennyoungkin; mandate; mandates; mask; maskmandates; schools; terrymcauliffe; virginia; winsomesears; youngkin
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GREAT START!
1 posted on 01/15/2022 1:25:52 PM PST by lightman
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To: lightman

Where can we see the whole list ?

“11 executive actions”


2 posted on 01/15/2022 1:28:13 PM PST by George from New England
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To: lightman

This is fantastic.


3 posted on 01/15/2022 1:29:23 PM PST by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…)
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To: lightman

Keep going !


4 posted on 01/15/2022 1:30:36 PM PST by Col Frank Slade
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To: lightman

praise God!


5 posted on 01/15/2022 1:31:11 PM PST by dadfly
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To: All

Glenn Youngkin is hiring lots of Trumpworld vets
Insider ^ | 1/13/2022 | Warren Rojas, C. Ryan Barber
Posted on 1/15/2022, 12:07:06 PM by Roadrunner383

Youngkin plans to fill key Virginia posts with former Trump aides.

In the run-up to his inauguration on January 15, Youngkin has recruited from the ranks of Trump administration veterans, many of whom have faced a difficult job market in the year since the twice-impeached former president left Washington, DC, nearly a year ago.

Youngkin’s transition team, with the assistance of a search firm, looked for younger Republicans outside the Richmond establishment who had recently served in government, a person familiar with the recruitment process told Insider.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


6 posted on 01/15/2022 1:31:47 PM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: George from New England

https://wtop.com/local-politics-elections-news/2022/01/new-va-gov-youngkin-issues-executive-orders-on-covid-mandates-crt-and-more/

Executive Order Number One delivers on his Day One promise to restore excellence in education by ending the use of divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, in public education.

Executive Order Number Two delivers on his Day One promise to empower Virginia parents in their children’s education and upbringing by allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school.

Executive Order Number Three delivers on his Day One promise to restore integrity and confidence in the Parole Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Executive Order Number Four delivers on his Day One promise to investigate wrongdoing in Loudoun County.

Executive Order Number Five delivers on his Day One promise to make government work for Virginians by creating the Commonwealth Chief Transformation Officer.

Executive Order Number Six delivers on his Day One promise to declare Virginia open for business.

Executive Order Number Seven delivers on his Day One promise to combat and prevent human trafficking and provide support to survivors.

Executive Order Number Eight delivers on his Day One promise to establish a commission to combat antisemitism.

Executive Order Number Nine delivers on his Day One promise to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Executive Directives:

Executive Directive Number One delivers on his fulfilling his Day One promise to jumpstart our economy by cutting job killing regulations by 25 percent.

Executive Directive Number Two delivers on his fulfilling his Day One promise to restore individual freedoms and personal privacy by rescinding the vaccine mandate for all state employees.


7 posted on 01/15/2022 1:32:31 PM PST by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: lightman

How do you become unvaccinated?

People should have a pint of blood drawn and throw it at the formers governor’s house.


8 posted on 01/15/2022 1:34:58 PM PST by alternatives? (The only reason to have an army is to defend your borders.)
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To: lightman

He can’t rescind an executive order. No standing. Because...


9 posted on 01/15/2022 1:35:31 PM PST by AndyJackson
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To: lightman

Nice Day One start!

Has he said anything about fixing 2020, auditing the vote, or getting rid of
electronic voting machines and going to secure watermarked paper ballots?

That would get my vote for things he ought to do next... ;-)

~Easy


10 posted on 01/15/2022 1:42:58 PM PST by EasySt (Say not this is the truth, but so it seems to me to be, as I see this thing I think I see.#KAG )
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To: lightman

Big, big win!


11 posted on 01/15/2022 1:43:21 PM PST by bramps (It's the Islam, stupid!)
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To: bramps

I didn’t think he had it in him.


12 posted on 01/15/2022 1:55:53 PM PST by RBW in PA
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To: All

Attorney Gen-elect Jason Miyares fires 30 in AG’s office (Virginia)
Free Lance Star ^ | 1-15-22 | PATRICK WILSON
Posted on 1/15/2022, 2:58:39 PM by dynachrome

Attorney Gen.-elect Jason Miyares notified about 30 staff members in the office - 17 of them attorneys - that they won’t have jobs in his administration.

Miyares, a Republican, will be sworn in on Saturday to replace Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring, whom Miyares defeated in the November election.

Miyares spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita said the 30 staff members were told Friday that Miyares would be moving in a different direction.

“During the campaign, it was made clear that now Attorney General-elect Miyares and Attorney General Herring have very different visions for the office,” she said by email for this story. “We are restructuring the office, as every incoming AG has done in the past.”

She declined to provide the breakdown of which divisions the attorneys work in, saying it was multiple divisions across the office.

While it’s routine for lawyers at the top of the office to be replaced when one political party loses control, the number of lawyers fired surprised the outgoing Herring administration.

(Excerpt) Read more at fredericksburg.com ...


13 posted on 01/15/2022 1:56:13 PM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: lightman

I have a man crush on this guy!


14 posted on 01/15/2022 1:58:22 PM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (Ivermectin should be available for sale over the counter in the United States of America)
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To: lightman

The racist!/s


15 posted on 01/15/2022 2:01:12 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (Buck Foe Jiden!)
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To: lightman

Wow…just inspiring!


16 posted on 01/15/2022 2:36:58 PM PST by Caipirabob (Communists...Socialists...Fascists & AntiFa...Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: lightman

The inauguration ceremony (& parade) was fabulous. Great start all around.

BTW, the 2 seats reserved for T. McAwful (former Gov) were .... empty! Glorious!


17 posted on 01/15/2022 2:37:24 PM PST by Qiviut (🍊 #standup "Don't let your children die on the hill you refuse to fight on.")
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To: lightman

I was originally worried that Youngkin would be all talk and no action. Happy I was wrong.


18 posted on 01/15/2022 2:40:14 PM PST by Gideon7
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To: lightman

Absolutely!

A real surprise, too.


19 posted on 01/15/2022 2:43:33 PM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: lightman

BooYaa !!!


20 posted on 01/15/2022 2:55:43 PM PST by 11th_VA (Stolen elections have consequences.)
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