Crossover for the 2020 General Assembly session was midnight on Feb. 11. Crossover in the General Assembly is the last day for bills to be heard in the House of Delegates and the Senate before they cross over to the opposite chamber and start the process all over again.
This year, the ACLU of Virginia prioritized bills that would reduce racial disparities in our criminal legal system and expand voting rights across the Commonwealth. A number of our priority bills are moving forward in the legislature, including the following:
Voting Rights
- Same-day voter registration: HB 201 (Del. Hala Ayala)
- No-excuse absentee voting: HB 1 (Del. Charniele Herring)
- Constitutional amendment to guarantee a right to vote that cannot be abridged by law: SJ 8 (Sen. Mamie Locke) got carried over to 2021 session.
Criminal Legal Reforms
- Raising the felony larceny threshold from $500 to $1,000 in a positive step toward our goal of raising the threshold to at least $1,500: SB 788 (Sen. Jennifer McClellan)
- Eliminating the three-strike petit larceny statute: SB 807 (Sen. Joe Morrissey)
- Pretrial transparency data collection and reporting: SB 723 (Sen. Jennifer McClellan)
- A study of equitable marijuana legalization: SJ 66 (Sen. Adam Ebbin) and SJ 67 (Sen. Jennifer McClellan)
- A study of solitary confinement at local and regional jails: HB 1284 (Del. Patrick Hope)
Bills we support:
- Repealing the voter photo ID requirement
- Establishing Election Day as a state holiday and eliminating Lee-Jackson Day
- Ending civil asset forfeiture without a criminal conviction
- Ending driver’s license suspension for failure to pay court debts
- Stopping strip searches of minors who are visiting loved ones in prisons and jails
- Reporting canine searches of visitors in prisons and jails
- Stopping the criminalization of students for disorderly conduct
- Fixing Fishback to allow the more than 300 people sentenced by juries who weren’t told about Virginia’s abolition of parole to have an opportunity for parole
- Entering into the National Popular Vote Compact
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Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
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Repealing medically unnecessary TRAP (targeted restrictions on abortion providers) laws that limit access to abortion
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The Virginia Values Act to protect LGBTQ+ Virginians from discrimination in housing, public accommodation, credit and employment
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Expanding access to driver’s licenses for all Virginians, regardless of immigration status
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Expanding in-state tuition to all Virginia students, regardless of immigration status
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Strengthening Virginia's anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) law, protecting more people against lawsuits designed to chill free speech
How you can help:
- Take action now.
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- Use our Lobby Guide to find out how to talk to your lawmaker about the issues.
- Sign up to receive our email updates and action alerts.
- Become a member.
