The resolutions now go to the Virginia Senate as part of a two-year process that culminates in a statewide referendum.
The Virginia House of Delegates advanced today three constitutional amendments that would bolster reproductive rights, marriage equality, and voting rights as part of a two-year process that culminates with a statewide vote.
The House passed along party lines a resolution to add reproductive rights to Virginia’s state constitution and protect prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.
“This amendment is in the spirit of Roe,” said Democrat Del. Charniele Herring on the House floor. “It will also protect the women of Virginia from extreme pieces of legislation that we have seen time and time again in this chamber.”
Democrats want to add stronger protections for abortions to the state constitution in the wake of Roe being overturned and as conservatives around the country crack down on reproductive health care. Democrats fear that as women’s health care providers become more scarce, the lives of more women will become at risk.
Republicans used harsh, graphic and at times insulting language to express their opposition to adding protections for abortion to Virginia’s constitution. At one point, Republican Del. Nick Freitas tried describing in graphic detail a D&E abortion procedure which he referred to as a “dismemberment abortion,” an inflammatory turn of phrase aimed at tapping into antiabortion sentiment.
Democrat Del. Candi Mundon King was quick to push back on Freitas and clarify that the “D” in D&E stands for “dilation.”
“You know how I know?” Mundon King asked. “Because I’ve had to dilate. This is not something that I read about or received a definition from on social media. It’s a lived experience, and lived experiences matter.”
.@CandiMundonKing speaking today in support of the reproductive rights constitutional amendment pic.twitter.com/oYg4ezkWea
— The Dogwood (@vadogwoodnews) January 14, 2025
Republicans also referred derisively to “word salads” when describing the statements and responses from Democrats about the reproductive rights constitutional amendment. And Republicans dialed up the rhetoric to the point of hyperbole to warn about how extreme they feel the measure is.
“It goes well beyond all of that to become arguably the most extreme abortion measure in the nation and possibly in the civilized world,” said Republican Del. Todd Gilbert.
Democrats, led by Herring and Mundon King, were having none of it. They were quick to point out the hypocrisy and extremism of Republicans who have advanced complete abortion bans and showed little concern for the health of children who get impregnated by rapists.
“It is hypocritical for people who ruled this chamber for decades – sat here, sat there — and allowed their communities to become maternal health deserts where women can’t even find one doctor, let alone three,” Mundon King said.
In Virginia, third-trimester abortions require the approval of three doctors.
In addition to the abortion rights amendment, the House passed a voting rights amendment resolution that would automatically give people convicted of a felony the right to vote after they have served their time and returned to society, and a marriage equality amendment that would repeal the defunct ban on same-sex marriage that’s still in Virginia’s state constitution.
Watch Democrat Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker explain why Virginia needs to automatically restore voting rights to citizens returning to society after a felony conviction:
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