Va. Lt. gov. praises veto of 22 bills, including path for immigrants to be police: 'We don't know who you are'

Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears on Friday praised a series of vetoes by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin that nixed 22 bills from the Democratic-majority state legislature, including legislation that would permit certain immigrants to become law enforcement officers.

Sears also lauded the rejection of bills the governor claimed would "weaken criminal penalties," telling FOX Business Virginians must be protected from repercussions of the border crisis.

Sears told FOX Business the border crisis under President Biden has made Virginia and other interior states as close to the crisis as Texas, New Mexico and others.

"Here's the situation — we just have all become border states, and by the way, you notice that those states that claim to be… sanctuary states, sanctuary cities — suddenly they're backing away from it when they realize that no, actually, Texas is not going to bear the burden of all of the folks coming across the border illegally, you're going to have to share some of the pain," Sears said.

She told "The Big Money Show" that Youngkin's vetoes were about "the protection of the residents of Virginia" and to make sure that those individuals coming into Virginia and America writ-large from other nations "mean us well and not ill." 

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Sears, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, said she had to go through the same vetting processes she wants all contemporary immigrants to matriculate through.

"I had to go through that process. When I joined the Marine Corps. I was actually a Green Card holder," she said. "But I swore to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of our great United States."

In a statement, Youngkin said the bills he vetoed included ones that "protect illegal immigrants, or impede law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges from holding criminals accountable and bringing them to justice."

"Some of these people… said that you could simply become a law enforcement officer. Excuse me, we don't even know who you are. We don't know your intentions. You could have good intentions, but we don't know that," Sears said Friday.

Sears, who previously served as a state delegate for Virginia Beach, said none of the nixed legislation made sense.

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The lieutenant governor also lamented a high-profile directive Youngkin had championed that legislative leaders blocked.

Sears confirmed the previously-celebrated plan for the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals to move out of the crime-ridden District of Columbia to a growing commercial area across the Potomac, adjacent to Ronald Reagan-Washington National Airport, had stalled.

Team executive Ted Leonsis, Youngkin, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Alexandria Democratic Mayor Justin Wilson came together in December to celebrate the initial project. 

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The legislation to create the $2 billion entertainment district in Potomac Yards was blocked in February in the State Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, according to WRIC.

Sears expressed hope the plans aren't doomed, lamenting the legislature's refusal to allow what she estimated as a $12 billion, 30,000-job impact on the Commonwealth. Youngkin reportedly has other avenues he could attempt in the future to bring the move to fruition.

"We've got to have, as we like to say, ‘Peace in the Valley’ and everybody singing 'Kum-Ba-Yah,' because this is for the good of Virginia," Sears said.