Dems sue over Youngkin’s appointments to various education boards

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia Democrats are suing the leaders of the Boards of Visitors at George Mason University, the University of Virginia and the Virginia Military Institute. 

“We have a rule of law in Virginia, and it’s important the governor follow our Constitution and our laws,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) told 8News. 

The lawsuit asks a judge to decide whether university leaders should allow eight of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointments to the schools' Boards of Visitors to continue to serve. That’s even after the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected their nomination earlier this month. 

"This is an interesting claim, but it really has no merit,” Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham) told 8News. 

Virginia law allows nominees to serve on an interim basis until their appointments are considered by the General Assembly. 

In this case, Democrats argue that their service should have ended when the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected the eight appointments. 

“Committees in our chamber kill about 200-500 bills per year. That’s been the way it’s been for probably 200 years, and I find it really odd that the attorney general and the governor think a committee can’t kill a bill,” Surovell said.

However, Republicans say a single committee’s decision isn’t final and there are still procedural ways for lawmakers to revive their nominations. 

“I’m not saying that any of those things are going to happen, but until they do and they fail and the special session adjourns, these are alive,” Obenshain said.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Senate Clerk Susan Schaar wrote a letter to the Youngkin administration, which said the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee's actions are “effective immediately.” 

However, in a letter dated June 18, Schaar said she “conveyed the letter” (referring to the June 10 letter) at the request of the Democratic Chair of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, and she believed “there are still avenues of opportunity” for the nominations to be revived. 

Attorney General Jason Miyares will defend the affected universities in court. His office told 8News that he had no comment on the lawsuit. However, a letter Miyares sent universities earlier this month said, “At this stage, it is premature to conclude, as a matter of law, that the General Assembly has refused the pending confirmations.”

When asked about the lawsuit at an event on Tuesday, Youngkin said the following:

"Illegal discrimination is what we are removing from college campuses. And the Democrats want to reintroduce it and promote it. And that's at the heart of what I think so much of this is about. It's meritless. It's a waste of time. It's a waste of money. And I really would prefer that Democrats work on making Virginia the great state that she is and not spend time wasting everybody's time and money."