Republican Glenn Youngkin was sworn in Saturday as the 74th governor of Virginia, joined by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares, both Republicans. On his first day in office, Youngkin signed nine executive orders and two executive directives, reversing the policies of his predecessor Democrat Ralph Northam and acting on several of his campaign promises to Virginians, and particularly Virginian parents.
According to the governor’s press release,
“It’s Day One, and we are going to work just like we promised,” said Governor Youngkin. “The important steps we are taking today begins the work of restoring excellence in education, making our communities safer, opening Virginia for business and reinvigorating job growth, and making government work for the people, and not the other way around.”
Youngkin added that he is set to introduce 59 pieces of legislation and a package of more than a dozen budget amendments that include efforts to double the standard income-tax deduction, eliminate the grocery tax (currently 2.5 percent), and end the tax on the first $40,000 in veterans’ retirement pay.
Youngkin’s executive orders are intended to:
• Restore excellence in education by ending the use of divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory.
• 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.
• Restore integrity and confidence in the Parole Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Investigate wrongdoing in Loudoun County.
• Creating the Commonwealth Chief Transformation Officer.
• Declare Virginia open for business.
• Combat and prevent human trafficking and provide support to survivors.
• Establish a commission to combat antisemitism.
• Withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
In addition to that, Youngkin moved to “jumpstart our economy by cutting job killing regulations by 25 percent” and also rescinded the COVID vaccine mandate for state employees.
CRT Ban
Education was a main issue of Youngkin’s campaign. Arguably, Youngkin and the whole Republican ticket could hardly win a close race in a predominantly blue state without the help of parents who were fed up with the previous administration’s “progressive” policies that harmed their children.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that in his executive order number one, Youngkin addressed the dangers of deeply divisive Marxist Critical Race Theory (CRT) that is being taught in public schools.
Per the text of the order,
Political indoctrination has no place in our classrooms…. Inherently divisive concepts, like Critical Race Theory and its progeny, instruct students to only view life through the lens of race and presume that some students are consciously or unconsciously racist, sexist, or oppressive, and that other students are victims.
In his order, Youngkin instructed his Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera and others at the Virginia Board of Education to remove racially divisive and other such concepts out of school policies, programs, training, and curricula.
Rescinding School Mask Mandate
Youngkin’s second executive order was also dedicated to public education, and reaffirmed parents’ “fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children.”
The order reads,
Recent government orders requiring virtually every child in Virginia wear masks virtually every moment they are in school have proven ineffective and impractical. They have also failed to keep up with rapidly changing scientific information.
The order noted that universal masking in public schools made little to no difference in COVID transmission rates, per the study done by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At the same time, prolonged mask wearing has negatively impacted the mental and physical development of children, such as inhibiting the ability of children to communicate, delaying language development, and impeding the growth of emotional and social skills, according to the order.
Starting January 24, every child whose parents decide against masking will not be required to wear a mask in school.
Instead, the governor ordered school districts to marshal any resources available to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, such as mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation, air-conditioning systems, and window and door repair.
Loudoun County Public School Sex Scandals
Youngkin’s fourth executive order concerns “wrongdoing” by the Loudoun County School Board — referring to the alleged criminal misconduct of covering up sexual assaults in order to promote a “transgender bathroom” policy. The story, which The New American has covered here, gained national attention during the gubernatorial campaign following the arrest of a 14-year-old high school “genderfluid” student — a skirt-wearing male — who has been found guilty of raping a female student in a school bathroom. That student was then allowed by the school board to be transferred to another school where he raped another girl, and the district, along with superintendent Scott Ziegler, has been accused of covering up the crime. The offending student has been found guilty and placed on the sex-offender registry for life as part of his sentence.
The scandal became a hot-button issue of the gubernatorial elections. Speaking with The New American shortly after the elections, then-upcoming Attorney General Jason Miyares reaffirmed his commitment to investigate the Loudoun County School Board’s actions.
On Saturday, Youngkin officially requested Miyares “to initiate and coordinate investigative and prosecutorial efforts and to take such actions as he may deem appropriate in order to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth and hold accountable any individuals who have violated existing law or violated the rights of victims of crime,” while noting that “Virginia parents deserve answers and assurances that the safety of their children will never be compromised.”
On Sunday, during his first interview after taking office, Youngkin said that he was focusing on providing parents with “the ability to make the right decision for their child with regards to their child’s well-being.” He added, “I think this is exactly what Virginians voted for in November and we delivered yesterday.”
