The House Privileges and Elections Committee will take up multiple proposed constitutional amendments on Wednesday. The proposals would guarantee access to an abortion in the commonwealth and the restoration of voting rights after being released from incarceration. Another proposal would remove outdated language from the state Constitution that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
HJ 1, sponsored by Del. Charniele Herring, D-Fairfax, would prohibit Virginia from penalizing or prosecuting anyone for receiving an abortion or helping someone receive one.
The proposed amendment states 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.”
Additionally, the committee will be taking up HJ 2, sponsored by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, which would allow anyone who is eligible to vote to have that right. Currently, the governor has to restore voting rights after a person is released from prison.
“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,” the bill states.
The committee will also take up HJ 9, sponsored by Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, that would remove the language from the Virginia Constitution stating that a marriage is only between a man and a woman.
That section of the Constitution and other related provisions are no longer valid due to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed for same-sex marriage across the country.
The committee is meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
If these proposals advance, it is possible they could be heard by the full House of Delegates chamber during the first week of the legislative session in January. Democrats have not stated their reasoning for bringing these amendments up during this week’s meeting.
Constitutional amendments must be passed by the General Assembly twice, with a House election in between before Virginia voters take it up for final approval. The full House is up for reelection in 2025, making this the ideal time for Democrats to advance these proposals.