RICHMOND, Va. – Today three resolutions to amend the Virginia constitution passed out of their Senate committee and were advanced by the full House, the first step in a multi-year effort to enshrine core civil rights protections in Virginia’s constitution. In response to the progress of HJ1/SJ247, HJ2/SJ248, and HJ9/SJ249, ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer released the following statement:
“As our civil rights and civil liberties face threats at the federal level, it’s even more important that we safeguard them here at home. Protecting Virginians’ rights will require amending Virginia’s constitution, which is a deeper and longer-lasting commitment than enacting a new law. Today was the first step of this legislative session in a multi-year process, one that will culminate in Virginians themselves voting on whether to enshrine in Virginia’s constitution our right to marry the person they love, make their own private decisions about their reproductive health, and have a say in our democracy. With our partners, we’ll be there every step of the way until Virginians’ core civil rights are safely out of the reach of partisan politics.”
