Democrats are responding to the note left by Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears on legislation last year. The bill, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law, prohibits officials from denying marriage licenses based on sex, gender or race.
While fulfilling her constitutional responsibility of signing legislation that passes the state Senate, Earle-Sears wrote that she is “morally opposed to the content of HB 174 as passed by the General Assembly.”
“I think it’s pretty amazing that she felt so strongly about gay marriage, which I think probably 65 to 70% of Virginians support now — ought to be illegal that she felt so strongly she had to put that in writing for the record,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax.
Virginia Scope obtained a copy of the signed bill through a public records request filed with the House Clerk’s Office.
Multiple sources tell Virginia Scope that it is very uncommon for the lieutenant governor or speaker of the House to add a note to legislation when signing it.
“I’ve never heard of a lieutenant governor refusing to sign a bill or footnoting it or anything,” Surovell said. “It’s not inconsistent with other behavior we’ve seen out of the lieutenant governor. She holds some very unique and interesting views, which I think once they start to come out, a lot of Virginia voters are going to be like, how do we ever elect this person?”
Earle-Sears is the Republican nominee for governor. Her Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, did not provide a comment to Virginia Scope last week.
Del. Rozia Henson, D-Prince William, the sponsor of the legislation, released a statement Thursday.
“I am ‘morally opposed’ to the Lieutenant Governor’s demonstration of poor leadership,” Henson said.
Henson referenced the turmoil facing the Republican statewide ticket, with John Reid, who is the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor and the first openly gay statewide candidate, facing controversy after Youngkin asked him to withdraw over the discovery of an old social media account with naked pictures of men. Reid denies the account is his.
“Unable to unify her own team, and unable to publicly support the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor at his own rally, Earle-Sears seems more interested in burning bridges than building them,” Henson said.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, said Thursday, “This homophobia has no place in our Commonwealth.”
The Earle Sears campaign responded with a statement, saying the lieutenant governor will be a governor for all Virginians.
“She has always been open and honest with the people of Virginia about her values and her unwavering commitment to both respecting and upholding the law,” said Peyton Vogel, a spokesperson for the campaign.