With slim majorities in the House of Delegates (51D – 49R) and Senate (21D-19R) of the Virginia General Assembly, left-wing ideologues are not wasting any time in pushing through an agenda that is contrary to God’s Law. Christ proclaimed, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Mk 12:17. Life and Marriage are God’s!
God is the Author of Life and therefore has the authority of determining life’s beginning and life’s end. The first proposed constitutional amendment HJ 1/SJ 247 creates an absolute right to abortion (the termination of preborn life) for any reason, at any time until natural birth, erase parental consent and stop reasonable safety standards. The amendment takes the decision from God and gives it to women.
Fortunately, the attack on life at the end of life, SB 280 to legalize assisted suicide, proposed by the same patrons who sponsored the radical abortion amendment, appears to be dead for 2025.
The second proposed amendment HJ9 changes marriage, as it was instituted by God, to be between a man and a woman and transfers that authority to man.
The House Privileges and Elections Committee met before the 2025 session started in November to fast-track three amendments to the Virginia Constitution so they could vote on them as their top priority.
Both amendments passed the House and Senate in the first days of the session. If they pass again next year, they will go to the voters on the November 2027 ballot. Unless there is a change in the majority in the House of Delegates by voters in November 2025, the vote this year will likely be replicated next year.
In response to the November Committee action, the Catholic Bishops of Virginia issued a statement expressing their oppositions to the proposed constitutional amendments:
Statement by Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Knestout on Actions by House Privileges and Elections Committee Condemning the Vote
November 13, 2024
Today, the House Privileges and Elections Committee took the unusual step of fast-tracking three proposals to amend Virginia’s constitution. The committee voted to advance an extreme “right to abortion” amendment, an amendment to repeal the one-man/one-woman marriage provision, and an amendment to restore voting rights. These actions send the measures to the House floor for votes at or near the beginning of the 2025 General Assembly session.
Adding a “right” to abortion in Virginia’s constitution would enshrine a fundamental tragedy, not a fundamental right. Alarmingly, this proposed policy appears to allow virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy. We are especially concerned that this measure could quite possibly endanger Virginia’s parental consent law and its prohibition against partial-birth abortion and may very well foreclose the possibility of any future measure to protect babies from abortion. Rather than further expanding our Commonwealth’s already very permissive abortion laws, we urge all lawmakers to work instead for policies that affirm the life and dignity of every mother and every child.
We also oppose the effort to remove the constitutional provision regarding marriage that Virginia voters approved in 2006. We affirm the dignity of every person, and we affirm too that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. Marriage was created by God with an original design and purpose that each of us is called to preserve and that predates any nation, religion or law.
The process to amend Virginia’s constitution is multi-year and involves numerous steps. We must all be vigilant about the actions that are taking place now and those we anticipate may occur in the future. Though the election season has ended, our deep engagement in decisions that go to the heart of who we are and what we value must continue with determination and zeal.
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The first amendment HJ 1/SJ 247 will create an absolute “right to abortion” without protections or limits from conception to natural birth. Because no one can prevent an abortion, it will negate the parental rights of notification and consent of parents of underage pregnant girls. It will also prevent any limitations on late term abortions for any reason. It also provides legal protection for anyone assisting a woman in procuring abortions (individuals aiding minors without parental consent, abusive partners, sex traffickers, etc.) Radical Abortion with No Restrictions, No Limits Top Priority for VA Democrats.
Americans do not support the radical constitutional amendment proposed by the Democrats in Virginia.
New Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll: A Consistent Majority of Americans Continue to Support Legal Limits on Abortion Poll Also Shows Overwhelming Support for Pregnancy Resource Centers
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The 2025 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll results, released today, show that 67% of Americans support placing legal limits on abortion, and that 60% support limiting abortions to at most the first three months of pregnancy. This survey, conducted by the Marist Poll and commissioned annually by the Knights of Columbus, also found that, for the second consecutive year, 83% of Americans support pregnancy resource centers, which offer support to mothers both during their pregnancy and after their baby is born. Additionally, the poll found that 62% of Americans believe healthcare professionals with religious objections to abortions should not be legally required to perform them, while 82% of respondents believe that laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.
The second amendment HJ9 Constitutional amendment (first reference); marriage between two individuals; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. In addition to the concerns raised by the Bishops, the version of the bill that passed the House and Senate does not provide any protection for the religious rights of persons who do not want to participate in marriages because of religious objections. The original bill contained language “The amendment provides that religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.” This language was removed for the final version that passed, making persons with religious objections vulnerable (clergy, wedding services providers, etc.) When voters are asked to vote on the amendment this vulnerability will not be apparent, and uninformed voters can be confused into voting for an amendment that they do not support.
In addition to the proposed Constitutional Amendments, according to the Virginia Catholic Conference other bills being considered in the General Assembly include:
Coercive Contraceptive Bills: Virginia Catholic Conference-opposed legislation that would end lives, violate religious liberty and undercut parental rights is also speeding forward.
HB 1716 would grant all persons, including minors, a “right” to obtain contraceptives and undergo sterilization procedures. The bill’s inclusion of sterilization undercuts current law on parental consent before a minor can have a surgical procedure. The legislation would also undermine the religious liberty and conscience rights of hospitals and health clinics that do not provide sterilization procedures or contraceptives due to their beliefs. It would even subject them to lawsuits. Yesterday, this bill passed the House 53-44.
SB 780 would require health plans to cover contraceptives and even some abortion-inducing drugs (such as Ella, which works the same way as the “abortion pill” RU-486). Today, this bill passed the Senate 21-17 (vote not posted yet).
SB 1098, would make abortion a “protected health care activity” and give abortion providers unprecedented legal protections.
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