Virginia Marriage Equality Legislation Introduced

From VA State Sen. Adam Ebbin’s office:

MARRIAGE EQUALITY LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN VIRGINIA

Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) jointly put forward proposal to repeal discrimination from the Virginia Constitution and enshrine the right to marriage; Delegate-elect Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (D-Prince William) and Ebbin introduce similar statutory bills

Senator Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) have introduced Senate Joint Resolution 11 and House Joint Resolution 9, proposed amendments to Virginia’s Constitution to repeal the discriminatory ban on marriage equality and enshrine an affirmative right to marriage for consenting Virginia couples.

Ebbin and Delegate-elect Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (D-Prince William) separately introduced House Bill 174 and Senate Bill 101 to guarantee the issuance of marriage licenses without regard to sex, gender or race of the two adults seeking to enter into a marriage.

“The General Assembly should advance SJR11 expeditiously so that Virginia voters can finally remove this discriminatory stain on our foundational document once and for all,” said Senator Ebbin.

“Virginians want a chance to remove the noxious marriage language that was added to our constitution in 2006. Over the years, minds have changed and over 1.8 million voters have come of age–this is not the constitution they want,” said Delegate Mark Sickles.

“Passing SJR11 and HJ9 is the first step in a multi-year process, which will culminate in a statewide referendum in the fall of 2026,” said Delegate-elect Rozia A. Henson, Jr. (D-Prince William). “That is why Senator Ebbin and I have also introduced legislation to codify marriage equality in Virginia’s Code – not just its Constitution – so that marriage equality is protected under Virginia law beginning July 1, 2024.”

After the Virginia Senate passed Ebbin’s constitutional amendment in 2023 on a bipartisan 25-14 vote, the effort was defeated in the House of Delegates. Opponents of the measure testified to legislators that the ban on marriage equality should remain in Virginia’s Constitution, reasoning that “The [Supreme] Court is clearly in position to reverse its erroneous 2015 decision.”