RICHMOND — Gov. Glenn Youngkin vowed on Tuesday to reimburse businesses and individuals who paid “unjust” fines for violating state coronavirus restrictions, a move that comes as fellow Republicans have turned a shutdown-defying grilled cheese eatery into a cause celebre.
Youngkin also announced that he will make two related proposals in the budget amendments he is scheduled to introduce Dec. 15. One would direct agencies to stop collection and enforcement actions. The other would have the state develop a process for reimbursing businesses and individuals “who paid unjust COVID-19 fines and fees.”
His office specified that the budget language will not apply to violations of health and safety rules for facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.
“The fact that businesses are still dealing with COVID-19 related penalties and fines is infuriating. Livelihoods are on the line,” Youngkin said in a statement. “While we can’t undo the damage done during the Northam administration, we are taking action going forward to end COVID-era draconian overreach.”
Youngkin made the announcement four days after an arm of his administration — the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) — executed a search warrant against Gourmeltz, a Spotsylvania County restaurant accused of selling liquor without a license.
Youngkin’s announcement did not specifically reference Gourmeltz, and Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter declined to say whether there was any connection between the restaurant and his action Tuesday. Porter said she had no information on how many businesses or individuals have been penalized for violating the pandemic restrictions.
Gourmeltz’s license was suspended for 90 days by a circuit court judge last month as an outgrowth of enforcement measures that started under Northam over the restaurant’s defiance of pandemic-related health restrictions.
Youngkin has faced criticism from some conservatives for ABC’s enforcement action against Gourmeltz, with some Republicans flocking to the restaurant as agents conducted their search.
“It’s time we unite and stand against the communist agenda,” state Sen. Amanda F. Chase (R-Chesterfield) tweeted in support of Gourmeltz owner Matt Strickland.
Calling the restrictions unconstitutional, Strickland is seeking to parlay his battle with the state into a seat in the Virginia Senate, running for the Republican nomination next year. “Through his fight against the tyrannical government, Matt realized a void in Virginia politics,” his campaign website says. “None of his elected officials stood beside him in his fight against Northam and the overreaching mandates; they were silent on the issue.”
Chase, the self-described “Trump in heels” who was a key surrogate for Youngkin last year, tried to prompt Youngkin to come to Strickland’s aid in the aftermath of the ABC search.
“This would be a great opportunity for Governor Youngkin to step in and show the difference between the tyrannical blue leadership of the past and the new red leadership of the present,” Chase tweeted Monday. “The people really want to hear from him on this.”
After Youngkin’s action Tuesday, Chase turned sharply critical of the governor because he’d chosen Del. Tara Durant (R-Stafford), Strickland’s rival for their party’s Senate nomination, to carry the legislation.
“Wait. So you’re going to ‘help’ the veteran owned business owner Matt Strickland whose business just got unconstitutionally raided by ABC by giving a supposed legislative ‘fix’ to his primary opponent,” Chase tweeted. “Why did you pick Strickland’s opponent to carry the bill? That’s low.”
Meanwhile, Youngkin’s swipe at Northam drew pushback from the Democrat’s former spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky.
“Governor Northam made Virginia one of the safest states in the nation during the height of COVID-19,” Yarmosky wrote in a text message to The Washington Post, adding that the state was among the top 10 in coronavirus vaccinations and twice won CNBC’s “Top State for Business” ranking during the pandemic. “I understand Governor Youngkin is just tuning back into Virginia, but he’s been in office an entire year. I’d recommend he focus on his own administration.”
