Youngkin Amends Legislation to Protect Religious Expression; Del. Shin Says He Hijacked Her Bill

Delegate Irene Shin (D-Fairfax) called Governor Glenn Youngkin a “wolf in fleece clothing” after he amended her bill to protect people wearing religious items against discrimination. Youngkin’s amendments to HB 1063 expand the definition of “religion” in the legislation. The bill passed out of the General Assembly with unanimous support, but the legislature will meet next week to vote on Youngkin’s amendments to the bill and other legislation.

“And in the face of this bipartisan collaboration, the Governor has drastically changed the scope and intent of this bill and warped it into something much more insidious,” Shin said in a press release Wednesday. “The practical implications of the Governor’s amendment would be to create legal protections for discriminatory and bigoted policies, acts and beliefs under the guise of religion. The fact that this Administration would co-opt a universally approved bipartisan measure designed to ensure equal protections and weaponize it to advance their agenda of discrimination and division, while sadly unsurprising, is still appalling.”

When Shin presented the bill in committee earlier this year, she explained, “HB 1063 would make sure that a person seeking to buy a house, rent an apartment, or find employment that they couldn’t be discriminated against because they’re wearing a cross across their neck or a yarmulke or a headscarf.”

The bill adds a key definition of religion to code sections banning discrimination in various contexts: “‘Religion’ includes any outward expression of religious faith, including adherence to religious dressing and grooming practices and the carrying or display of religious items or symbols.”

Youngkin’s amendment changes the definition: “‘Religion’ means all aspects of religious observance, practice, or belief.”

Virginia Values Act

In 2020, Democrats expanded the Virginia Human Rights Act with the Virginia Values Act. Some Christian organizations have resisted the change because it created Virginia Code Section 2.2-3905, which bans discrimination in employment including for religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. That led to some lawsuits, and in the 2022 session, Republicans tried to modify an exemption for religious employers with the added phrase, “As used in this subsection, the term ‘religion’ includes all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief,” a sentence similar to Youngkin’s amendment to HB 1063… (Excerpt from the Virginia Star)