Youngkin signs executive orders banning critical race theory and mask mandates on first day as governor
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin started his term with a slew of executive orders Saturday to address key campaign issues.
After being sworn in as the 74th governor of Virginia, Youngkin signed 11 executive orders, a handful of which were aimed at allowing parents to exert control over their children’s education by ordering schools to stop teaching critical race theory and implementing mask mandates in public schools.
“Parents should have a say in what is taught in school because, in Virginia, parents have a fundamental right to make decisions with regards to their child’s upbringing, education, and care,” Youngkin said in his inauguration speech Saturday. “To parents, I say we respect you. And we will empower you in the education of your children.”
Youngkin, who made education a focal point of his campaign, also issued an executive order directing officials to “investigate wrongdoing in Loudoun County.” This alluded to the scandal in which the school board was accused of covering up or failing to address multiple sexual assault allegations, one of which resulted in the conviction of a male student who identified as gender fluid.
The governor also signed two executive directives, which differ from executive orders in how the legal language is styled, aiming “to jumpstart our economy by cutting job-killing regulations by 25 percent” and “to restore individual freedoms and personal privacy by rescinding the vaccine mandate for all state employees.”
Youngkin’s predecessor, former Gov. Ralph Northam, imposed several restrictions aimed at curbing the transmission of COVID-19. Last year, for example, he signed executive orders mandating state workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and requiring students to wear masks in schools, WRIC reported .
Youngkin was inaugurated as Virginia’s first Republican governor since 2010. He was joined by fellow Republicans Winsome Sears, who became the first female black lieutenant governor, and Jason Miyares, who was elected the first Hispanic attorney general in the state’s history.
Youngkin won the election after a contentious race with Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who previously served as governor of Virginia. The election was a significant victory for Republicans in a state that had been previously dominated by Democrats.
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