Governor; confirming appointments.
SJR 273 is a joint resolution confirming a large slate of gubernatorial appointments made by Governor Glenn Youngkin and communicated to the General Assembly on June 1, 2024. The resolution covers appointments across many state boards, commissions, councils, authorities, and advisory bodies, including agency heads such as the Tax Commissioner, the CEO of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, and the Executive Director of the Virginia Lottery, as well as members of boards dealing with education, health, environment, labor, transportation, veterans affairs, public safety, and economic development.
The measure is administrative in nature and does not create new programs or substantive policy changes. Instead, it gives legislative confirmation to individuals serving either at the pleasure of the Governor or for fixed terms on a wide range of state entities, thereby filling vacancies, renewing terms, and maintaining continuity in state governance. One listed appointment, Daniel Cortez to the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, was specifically noted as not confirmed by the House of Delegates.
The bill’s effect is to formally approve most of the Governor’s appointments and thereby authorize those appointees to continue serving in their designated roles under existing law. It does not amend the Code of Virginia or alter the powers of the listed agencies and boards; rather, it operates within the appointment-confirmation framework already established for these bodies. The practical impact is on the composition and leadership of numerous state entities, including taxation, alcohol regulation, lottery administration, health professions, environmental oversight, higher education, and veterans services.
Overall sentiment around the resolution appears strongly favorable and largely noncontroversial. The Senate passed the measure unanimously, and the House also approved it overwhelmingly, indicating broad bipartisan support for confirming the appointments. The only recorded opposition in the House was tied to a single appointment line item, suggesting that the resolution as a whole was viewed as routine and necessary.
The main point of contention was the appointment of Daniel Cortez to the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations. That appointment was rejected in a 22-68 House vote and was specifically marked as not confirmed by the House of Delegates, while the rest of the resolution passed. No broader policy dispute appears in the available record; the disagreement was limited to one nominee rather than the overall confirmation package.