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Virginia NOW: Crucial Constitutional Amendments on House of Delegates P&E Committee’s Agenda TOMORROW (Wednesday)

The amendments are: HJ1 – Fundamental right to reproductive freedom; HJ2 – Right to vote – restoration of rights; HJ9 – Marriage equality  

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From Virginia NOW:

Greetings!

Tomorrow – Wednesday, November 13th – the House of Delegates Privileges and Elections Committee will meet to discuss the three Constitutional Amendments carried over from the 2024 Session. These are:

HJ1 – Fundamental right to reproductive freedom

HJ2 – Right to vote – restoration of rights

HJ9 – Marriage equality

The meeting will be livestreamed:

https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstream.php

You can submit public comments here:

https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/submit_testimony?meeting_id=17472

This is the first step in a multi-year process to pass these amendments.

Be sure your delegate and senator knows you support these amendments.

You can find their contact information here.

These are summaries of the bills from the Virginia Legislative Information System:

HJ1 Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom (first reference).

Charniele L. Herring (Chief Patron)

Provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and that the right to make and effectuate one’s own decisions about all matters related to one’s pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means. The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing, prosecuting, or otherwise taking adverse action against an individual for exercising the individual’s right to reproductive freedom or for aiding another individual in the exercise of such right, unless justified by a compelling state interest.

HJ2 Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters, right to vote, persons not entitled to vote.

Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (Chief Patron)

Provides that every person who meets the qualifications of voters set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall have the fundamental right to vote in the Commonwealth and that such right shall not be abridged by law, except for persons who have been convicted of a felony and persons who have been adjudicated to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting. A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote. Currently, in order to be qualified to vote a person convicted of a felony must have his civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority. The amendment also provides that a person adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction as lacking the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitled to vote during this period of incapacity until his capacity has been reestablished as prescribed by law. Currently, the Constitution of Virginia provides that a person who has been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent is not qualified to vote until his competency is reestablished.

HJ9 Constitutional amendment; marriage between two individuals.

Mark D. Sickles (Chief Patron)

Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The Commonwealth and its political subdivisions are required to recognize any lawful marriage between two parties and to treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Yes, we’re still angry about the devastating results of the presidential election, but we’re also determined to maintain Virginia’s forward momentum.

 

What can you do right now?

  • Build a strong feminist presence in Virginia by joining Virginia NOW
  • Contribute to our Political Action Committee to elect champions of these constitutional amendments
  • Contribute to Virginia NOW to fund advocacy efforts on behalf of these amendments and many other important measures.

One last thing. We’ve been heartened by the dozens of individuals who have become members and donors in the wake of November 5th. Let’s keep moving forward!!!

The Virginia NOW Statewide Team

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