During the course of your duties, when considering our (Election Administrators/General Registrars/Directors of Elections) request to finally be paid commensurate with our duties after 29 years of added duties without corresponding compensation, please keep in mind that every election law that is passed adds to our duties. There were over 69 NEW Election laws last year in the midst of a pandemic and the most grueling, contentious election cycle EVER. Every election law passed without funding jeopardizes our ability to get it all done due to lack of resources, staff, funding and time. The loss of any of the experienced, dedicated General Registrars because of compensation is a travesty and is likely to become a reality without the appropriate compensation. Please correct this inequity in compensation THIS SESSION. 1. Adjust compensation brackets in accordance with state studies (2 of them) 2. resume 100% reimbursement of NEW base salary to localities 3. Make it happen THIS session. We have earned it. We are the ones out here taking the abuse as a result of unfounded accusations and insinuations. Please understand that the 133 General Registrars statewide who count votes, compile results, verify results, process absentee by mail ballots, and so much more, do so with bi-partisan observers (sent by local political committees!!) and sworn election officials every.single.step! NOTHING is done in secret. EVERYTHING is reviewed and verified by a three member board (Electoral Board) representing both political parties. These board members are nominated by the local political committees and signed off on by a panel of judges! WE are not the enemy and the more you present laws insinuating that something is shady, the more you erode voter confidence on both sides of the aisle! The fact that a bill has passed the house to ADD SUNDAYS to early voting should be enough reason to pay us appropriately itself. We work 100s and 1000s of hours of overtime yet aren't paid equally and aren't valued equally to our fellow county government counterparts. The longer you ignore this and pass over doing the right thing, the more you send the message to your constituents, candidates, and fellow delegates that elections aren't important to you. NOW is the time to make this right.

The Virginia Education Association supports HB 2082. The redistricting process must be transparent so that voters can have confidence in the process and outcomes. Additionally, the allocation of incarcerated people to their home district is the equitable way to ensure that their needs and civil rights will be considered by the officials that represent their community.

The amendments to § 30-399 of the substitute may raise Constitutional issues to the extent they limit the Supreme Court’s ability to engage in confidential deliberations and frustrate the Court’s ability to act consistent with the provisions of Article II, § 6-A of the Constitution of Virginia.

Mr. Chair and Members of the Committee, On behalf of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table, I am confirming our support of HB2082 as this bill helps create needed transparency and accessibility in the redistricting process. We believe the newly developed Redistricting Commission should work to be accessible and transparent in all of its meetings, decisions, and communications. With this legislation, we can better ensure language access, public comment, and inclusivity as we move through the process of Redistricting in Virginia. It is for this reason we would like to thank Delegate Levine for introducing this legislation and being amenable to working with us on amendments. We ask for the committee to vote in favor of this bill. Thank you, Irene Shin Executive Director Virginia Civic Engagement Table

Please support HB 2082, Mark Levine's bill that provides transparency and fairness to the Redistricting process. It will require meetings and hearings of the commission and the Supreme Court of Virginia to be livestreamed; allows for public comment after maps are proposed; requires any proposed plan be approved by both the Democratic and Republican special masters. This legislation will not delay the commission's work in any way. Increasing public input and transparency will likely improve the maps as well as the process. Thank you.

I support HB 2082 Virginia Redistricting Commission; transparency in redistricting process with chief patron Delegate Mark Levine. I did not support the redistricting amendment because of the many flaws inherent in its potential execution – which have come to fruition with the seating of a flawed “citizen” commissioner. Those who campaigned for the Amendment touted it as a system that would be completely transparent to voters and watchdogs, with public meetings to be held across Virginia, with all data and notes from the meetings being completely open to the public. Its time for the delegates, especially those who voted for the Amendment, to stand by the glowing promotions of its value – and ensure that it does what as promised. HB 2082 will bolster the transparency of the commission by requiring all meetings on redistricting in the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the Supreme Court of Virginia to be livestreamed and recorded, whether the meetings are held virtually or in person. In addition, this bill will allow for public comment even after maps have been proposed. It also prohibits off-the-record negotiating on district selection and requires any proposed plan before the Virginia Supreme Court to have the approval of both a Democratic and a Republican special master. This legislation will not hurt or delay the commission's work in any way. By increasing public input and transparency the bill will help make the maps fair and just – which was the original goal of the amendment – was it not?

The Redistricting commission is off to bad start. I attended the first meeting and there were many problems. For one thing, they didn’t know the census would have provisional data that they could use before I mentioned it to them in chat. It’s also clear the whole committee is flawed because it has no members from the Dulles tech corridor where the largest growth outside of Fredericksburg in the Commonwealth is occurring. No one from Ashburn or Sterling or Herndon! But, that’s not my point. My point is they wish to shut down public comment through chat. Originally they had public comment through chat opened, but they shut off chat when one member of the public wished to speak but couldn’t. This was a travesty of democracy! But, I also think that all questions and chat from the public directed toward the panel should form part of the public record. And this is what I hope the bill will address. I also hope all meetings will have an online component so all Virginians can attend every meeting and be able to testify. I’m disheartened to see supporters of the Capital insurrection on this committee and feel political leadership would have been better off choosing someone from the Dulles tech corridor such as myself, to be quite frank. My application was exemplary and yet no one in the leadership would consider me because they knew I was working for the people, not for them. Leadership chose no one from the Dulles Tech Corridor and I blame the oversight squarely on those politicians lack of respect for the fine people of this commonwealth and instead wishing only to self-serve. I’m sorry I have to be so brutally honest with my opinions and observations. I will end simply with the fact that I write in support of this bill and the greater transparency it will bring to the Redistricting Commission.

I support most of this bill, with one big exception. This bill provides useful transparency improvements to the redistricting commission process. In particular, the requirement that the commission hold public hearings both before proposing new maps and after publishing proposed maps will ensure the public can best express their views during the process. Public comment prior to maps being drawn is useful, but public comment on proposed maps, where problems can clearly be observed, is essential. However, I am concerned with the special master provision. I worry that creating a process where the governor can appoint a tiebreaking special master creates incentives for the party that controls the governorship to recommend initial special masters who will refuse to negotiate, with the intention of having the Governor's "tie-breaking" special master draw maps gerrymandered for that party. This adds more partisanship to the process rather than less. It is better to either keep things as they are or, even better, to allow the Supreme Court to appoint their own special master without input from any politicians. I cannot support this proposal as written, but if the "tiebreaker" special master provision is removed, I would enthusiastically support it.

100 % Voting Rights for incarcerated and those released. Court fees should not deny voting.

The conditions that invite and encourage voter fraud MUST be dealt with NOW!! ID's, signature matches, and witnesses have to be put in place NOW! Voter Fraud was not only rampant, but encouraged by Democrats both nationally and statewide. Our Republic will be all but gone otherwise. In regards to same sex marriage...it is deviant. What's next? Marriage to children? Polygamy? Marriage is between a man and a woman based on Judeo- Christian principles. Until you figure out how to get the illegal guns away from criminals, I'll carry mine legally at all times. Northam, the black faced fool, and his party are everything that's wrong with Virginia.

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

I would make some changes to our election process. -rigid background checks for candidates BEFORE they run -any qualified person can run regardless of money backing them -elections should be a PUBLIC SERVICE requiring NO huge financial backing (that would eliminate big corporations, tech, media, etc., and include the average American who can not PAY for a candidate) that encourages puppets in government -campaigning on TV and in public should be free and volunteers working for candidates

I support Del. Price’s HB1890. Photo ID laws exist to disenfranchise the less well off who often dont have a drivers license of ID card and use public transit. Identifying voters is important but that can be done with a simple name and address document like an electric bill. Further, if photographic evidence is required, let it be on the Commonwealth to ensure the registrar has citizen photos rather than the citizen requiring a photo ID. Most of all, a photo ID not provided for by the Commonwealth is simply a form of, albeit minimal, poll tax. I support Del. Levine’s HB2082. Yesterday, I attended the first meeting of the Redistricting Board. I am concerned that this meeting was not live-streamed to Facebook and/or YouTube, and that the process had so little scrutiny. I’m more disturbed that the chat feature that the public can use was subsequently disabled and someone was barred from submitting commentary because of technical difficulties. Finally, I think all chat and questions for the committee should be added to the public record. There is much to improve in the Redistricting process, and thus bill goes a long way to make it better.

The Virginia Coalition for Open Government supports the bill.

I urge you to send forward for approval HB2082, another superb effort by Delegate Mark Levine. I opposed the Constitutional Amendment for a re-districting commission and wrote several analyses of the measure and related statutory alternatives that I sent to members of the General Assembly and published in the online press. Now that the Commission, which the voters approved, is a reality, I support measures that will strengthen it. HB2082 is such a bill. HB2082 sets out important transparency and public participation features for the Commission and, wisely, makes them applicable to the Virginia Supreme Court, if the process defaults there under the Amendment. There is no justification for redistricting done by the Court to not be fully transparent and participatory, especially since recent legislation directs the Court to use two Special Masters. Importantly, this bill makes all "meetings and records" of the Court and Special Masters subject to Virginia FOIA and defines all of their "records and documents," including internal communications, as public information. It is notable that this bill requires that both Special Masters endorse the proposed maps, as a condition for the Court's approval. This will help to remove political party partisanship. The bill also wisely provides a tie-breaker, with a third special master appointed by the Governor, should the first two be deadlocked. A final worthy feature of HB2082 is that it prevents members of the Court, the Special Masters, and other staff and consultants in the redistricting process from engaging in off-the-record communications about establishing districts. This is important to reduce the opportunities for special pleading and horse-trading by persons with an interest in how districts are drawn, especially incumbent legislators and their leaders and supporters. It will help achieve the promise of the Amendment's proponents of ending the practice of "politicians choosing their voters" and creating safe districts for themselves. I believe existing legislation already imposes similar restrictions on secret communications by members of the Commission, especially the citizen members. I suggest that if there are looser rules that apply to the legislator members, that these be tightened, to make them identical to restrictions on the citizen members and similar to the provisions of HB2082 for the other participants (Court members, Special Masters, etc.) noted above. Thank you for your attention and consideration.

The Virginia Press Association supports this bill.

In the last election, the new Constitutional Amendment 1 was passed with the intent of fixing the problem of partisan gerrymandering. That solution is being accomplished through the use of a citizen-led redistricting commission with participation by legislators. A goal of the Amendment was to create a system that would be completely transparent to voters and watchdogs, with public meetings to be held across Virginia, with all data and notes from the meetings being completely open to the public. This bill will bolster the transparency of the commission by requiring all meetings on redistricting in the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the Supreme Court of Virginia to be lives-treamed and recorded, whether the meetings are held virtually or in person. In addition, this bill will allow for public comment even after maps have been proposed. It also prohibits off-the-record negotiating on district selection and requires any proposed plan before the Virginia Supreme Court to have the approval of both a Democratic and a Republican special master. This legislation will not hurt or delay the commission's work in any way. By increasing public input and transparency the bill will help make the maps better.

The Virginia Education Association (VEA) supports HB 2082 and we ask the committee to favorably report HB 2082. Thank you.

Dear committee members, I write to you as someone passionate about redistricting reform who got pulled into the OneVirginia2021 cause years ago, after reading David Daley's amazing book about gerrymandering, "RAT-XXXYYY" (can't give the full title here - anyway....) If you've read Daley's book you would know how important transparency is to redistricting reform. When lines are drawn in darkness, then the partisan forces take over and the public good is shut out. Frankly whether these meetings are open to the public is, arguably as (or maybe more important) a detail as citizens being members of the the line-drawing commission. Now that so many of us are living and working from home 24/7 and unable to go to in-person meetings because of COVID, the need for open, public meetings is all the more urgent. The public must be part of the redistricting conversation, and they will not be able to see what the commissioners are doing or leave public comment, if the meetings aren't open for all to see. Live-streaming is where technology and democracy meet, it levels the playing field, so that people who can't attend a meeting because of childcare or a demanding job can still engage in some civic participation. I urge you to give this bill your full consideration and vote YES. Abby Fox (an Alexandria resident and constituent of Del. Levine, bill patron.)

Dear Delegate, Please support HB 2082 regarding the Virginia Redistricting Commission and transparency in the redistricting process. This bill will bolster transparency of the redistricting commission that will be established as a result of the new Constitutional Amendment 1 which passed last election. A goal of the Amendment was to create a system that would be completely transparent to voters and watchdogs, with public meetings to be held across Virginia, with all data and notes from the meetings being completely open to the public. The bill will bolster the transparency of the commission by requiring all meetings on redistricting in the Virginia Redistricting Commission and the Supreme Court of Virginia to be livestreamed and recorded, whether the meetings are held virtually or in person. In addition, this bill will allow for public comment even after maps have been proposed. It also prohibits off-the-record negotiating on district selection and requires any proposed plan before the Virginia Supreme Court to have the approval of both a Democratic and a Republican special master. Please note that this legislation will not hurt or delay the commission's work in any way. By increasing public input and transparency the bill will help make the maps better. Thank you so much for your attention.

I wholeheartedly and free of mind and will do attest, as a full citizen, my support of this bill. We need to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact so that the chaos of the 2020 election never happens again given such a clear popular vote winner. We need to stop PSC controlled corporations from contributing to those we vote to protect us from their near monopoly power which requires them to be regulated in the first place. Indeed, we should eliminate corporate contributions to political campaigns; bring campaigns back to the middle! Also, no more spending those campaign dollars on trips to fancy beaches and mountain resorts—that’s not why we give! Let the people vote, no more discrimination of any kind and if we let them drive at 16 they should be able to vote on those laws. If they were convicted of an unjust felonious infraction, such as marijuana possession, they should not have their voting rights abdicated so they can’t vote to overturn the unjust code through voting! And we need to keep our elections free and fair and not allow firearms at the polls to intimidate voters and politicians! I voted against the marriage act because I support the LGBTQ community and also support common law marriage protections for women. We need to amend this unconstitutional and disrespectful portion of our chief document.! We should be a Souls to the Polls state and have Sunday early voting! Absentee ballots should not be considered after-thought tie-breakers. They are legitimate ballots and should be counted as they came in. What happened in Pennsylvania should never happen here! Finally, I wish to state for the record as a citizen from the fastest growing region in the Commonwealth, the region from Reston/Great Falls to Leesburg, I was aghast when I saw of the 64 names legislators chose to send to the judges, not a single one the legislators selected was from this region. This is a major flaw of this Amendment—politicians as gatekeepers! But, we have the amendment and who knows what shenanigans the folks on the board will try. This is why we need fuller transparency with every action the committee takes under public scrutiny. Thank you and I sincerely hope you will pass this bill!

Any discriminatory language aimed at same sex marriages should be taken out.

In the legendary case of OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL the Supreme Court of the United States decided that love is love and that guarantees the right to same sex marriage. For a state such as Virginia to be so pretentious to assume it is above the law in constitution is not only regressive , deplorable and downright asinine, but the people have a duty to fight for their freedom to love and right to marry. Thus I am writing today to demand the removal of same sex marriage prohibition. I will not waste my time on arguing the truth for you know this world is progressing towards liberation and equality for all so either you fade away with with your staunchness or educate yourself on and change your hearts on this matter among others.

In the legendary case of OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL the Supreme Court of the United States decided that love is love and that guarantees the right to same sex marriage. For a state such as Virginia to be so pretentious to assume it is above the law in constitution is not only regressive , deplorable and downright asinine, but the people have a duty to fight for their freedom to love and right to marry. Thus I am writing today to demand the removal of same sex marriage prohibition. I will not waste my time on arguing the truth for you know this world is progressing towards liberation and equality for all so either you fade away with with your staunchness or educate yourself on and change your hearts on this matter among others.

I support the amendment and believe in marriage equality. Any language that is discriminatory should be removed.

The US Supreme court has ruled in 2015 that the marriage of same-sex couples is the fundamental right guaranteed by the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US constitution. Virginia should not be repeating the same mistake of former Governor Thomas Stanley who pretended that the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education did not matter. Obviously, this effort was not fruitful and Virginia is remembered as the state that oppressed the basic human rights of people of color. If Virginia does not again want to be remembered as a state that prohibits the basic human rights for EVERYONE, it needs to repeal this archaic, evil Marshall-Newman Amendment. I fully support this constitutional amendment HJ539 to remove same-sex marriage prohibition.

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee I would like to support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. Everyone should have the right to marry and stay marry who they love without fearing that somehow the language within our constitution will delegitimize their marriage. Virginia's tourism slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers". It is time we follow through with our slogan and strengthen marriage equality for all Virginians.

In support of HJ539, HJ557, and HJ582 - as an advocate and a queer, Asian American Virginian in a committed non-heterosexual partnership. My partner and I are life-long Virginians, and we plan to get married. My partner is a trans woman with chronic health conditions and legislative vulnerabilities like this make me scared. If my partner were in a medical emergency, I want to be the one who manages her care (as next-of-kin) - not a complete stranger or an estranged family member - because I know her health, history, and character the best. Similarly, if something were to happen to me, I would want her to act on my behalf because she knows me and cares about me the best. To think our union could be voided one day, and that we would not be able to provide, protect, or care for each other is absolutely frightening. I love my partner and these amendments would help us secure our individual and collective futures and health, and do so for hundreds of thousands of others.

Please support marriage equality so that all Virginians may have equal rights. Thank you for your hard work and dedication Virginia Jenkot

This vote will get us one step closer to removing the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. With the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, many Virginians are concerned about the future of marriage equality. Virginia took an important step forward during last year's General Assembly session and updated the Code to reflect marriage equality, and now we must take the next step and update the state constitution.

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee, NAKASEC Virginia wholeheartedly supports constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to marry for everyone in Virginia.

My husband and I are parents to an adult gay son and we support the House bills to remove the marriage discriminatory language from Virginia’s constitution. Our son attended high school and college in Virginia, was a corps member with Teach for America, and graduated from a top Ivy League law school. He not only is successful professionally but also is a caring, kind, and overall good person. He fulfills his responsibilities as a productive member of society and likewise should be entitled to all the rights and benefits afforded thereto. He should have the right to marry the person of his choice.

Please begin the process of removing the ban on same sex marriage from the Virginia constitution. Our constitution should not enshrine discrimination. Nor should it favor one narrow interpretation of Christianity over all the denominations that support same sex marriage. I want Virginia to value my marriage just like any other.

I write in support of HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. These actions would align the Virginia Constitution with the decisions of the United States Supreme Court that make marriage equality the law of the land. Virginia gave the world the language of equality, and articulated the Bill of Rights for the nation. We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that all of us are equal before the law and in the eyes of God. Your action on these items restores to Virginia’s Constitution those fundamental convictions that make the commonwealth a beacon of hope for the disenfranchised and those who still suffer discrimination around the world. Thank you for your careful consideration and actions on behalf of liberty and equality.

Fully support these bills --- marriage equality is an important family value!

I (and my family of 4) strongly support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. There is no place in the law for discrimination. And marriage equality is not just the way we support the human dignity of all (although that is a good enough reason to guarantee it). It is also the way to support stable relationships and stable families of LGBTQ individuals, which has societal benefits inherent to the purpose of civil marriage. Please remove the archaic and discrimatory constitutional provision on same-sex marriage.

I support bills HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. It's past time to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Virginia needs to guarantee equality, justice and fairness for ALL residents. Thank you.

I strongly support legislation to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Given the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, I am deeply concern about the future of marriage equality and the potential repercussions for my family. Please act swiftly in the interest of LGBTQ+ families across the Commonwealth and make it a priority to update the state constitution.

I support removing the discriminatory marriage amendment. I support equality in marriage for all LGBTQ VA residents. I am writing re: HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. Thank you. Sarah Priestman Arlington, VA

I support HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. Please pass these important bills to remove the discriminatory marriage amendment. Thank you for making Virginia a fair and just place to live for ALL Virginians!

Chairman Levine, Members of the House P&E, Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter expresses its support for constitutional amendments on three topics that we believe expand and protect rights of Virginians to participate fully in our society and democracy. First, Sierra Club supports an amendment in the Virginia Constitution to guarantee the right to same sex marriage and expressly repealing the prohibition that currently mars our constitution. Second, Sierra Club supports the rights of those persons formerly incarcerated to have their citizenship rights, including the right to vote, fully restored. Virginia is in a distinct minority of states in not automatically restoring the rights of felons once time is served. The existing limitation is a sorry relic of our Jim Crow past. Finally, Sierra Club supports HJ556 which would enshrine in our state constitution the principles of environmental justice in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that no population, especially minority, low-income, or historically economically disadvantaged communities, faces higher levels or greater impacts of pollution and climate change than other populations. Examples of such discrimination are reflected across Virginia from interstate highway placement to the siting of industries with toxic emissions. Sadly, such practices continue today as represented by Union Hill, Virginia which was the proposed site of massive fracked gas compressor station. Thank you, Glen Besa

Honored delegates, I hope that you will act to take the next steps in getting rid of the lingering effects of the Marshall-Newman amendment. As a Virginia citizen for more than 50 years, I'd like to see the Commonwealth take a full stand on equality with HJ 339, 557, and 582. Please do the right thing. Why do I care? I am in a 40-year committed lesbian relationship. We got married in Toronto in 2006, having given up hope of marrying legally here. I am grateful to AG Herring for having acted quickly to bring Virginia in line with the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015; what a thrilling day that was at Arlington County Courthouse! And I am grateful to the Assembly for the progress of 2020. In practical terms, the Marshall-Newman amendment makes no direct difference to my wife and me anymore. But it's still on the books. Why is that? That amendment was nothing but prejudice, pure and simple. In 40 years together, my wife and I have been active in our professional roles and in our community. We have supported each other in job losses, the decline and death of parents and family members, cancer, and now dementia. My wife could no longer live alone at this point, and she's not even 70; she'll probably be around another 15 or 20 years. How would that work without me? Without our legal marriage and the protections that it provides? Please stand up for equality and equity. It's the third decade of the 21st Century, and it's high time. Thank you for your public service. Sincerely, Diane Ullius Arlington

I have been a resident of Virginia since attending the University of Virginia beginning in 1973. I chose to remain in Virginia as a gay man because of my faith at that time that the essential conservative nature of the state would constrain state action to regulate my private life. I have been in a committed relationship with my now husband, a native Virginian, for the last 35 of those years. I stuck with Virginia through the radical changes in the treatment of my privacy by my adopted state. I have endured decades of vilification of my very existence from the Commonwealth, including the 2006 constitutional amendment. I have incurred considerable expense over many years to protect my rights and my property by actions that no married couple in the Commonwealth need do to protect their property and rights, only then to be told that even that would not protect me. No meaningful apology or remuneration has been forthcoming from the Commonwealth. It continues to be deeply hurtful to me that this hateful provision remains on the books even though made moot by the United States Supreme Court years ago and is no longer supported by a majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth according to many reliable polls. I want an apology for the unequal treatment I have endured for nearly 50 years while a tax paying citizen of the Commonwealth. The closest thing the Commonwealth can do to meaningfully atone for the wrong that it has done to my life is to remove these provisions from the Constitution which demean me and my marriage. If the Commonwealth is to renew its hateful treatment of my marriage in future, it needs to be made difficult by requiring a new Constitutional amendment and the deliberative due process that would be attendant to that. It is wholly unacceptable to me that the Commonwealth could potentially disrespect me again using this invalid Constitutional provision to threaten my financial security and my existence. I want the apology that I am due and I want the security I deserve. I cannot imagine that any citizen of this Commonwealth with self respect would want any less.

In support of Marriage equality. Please make it known and legal for all in Virginia. We are a married gay couple and want to remain legally married. Thanks, Jeff Wetter, Scott Sayre

HB1933 - The National Popular Vote Compact and its House Bill 1933 version would violate the VA Constitution, the US Constitution, and our amending process . On these grounds, this bill ought to be defeated and our participation in the Electoral College system maintained. HB2125 - This legislation can introduce administrative glut and misrepresentation of records of those who are eligible to vote and who are not. This legislation should be defeated on the grounds of it adds a roadblock to streamlining government administrative operations and upholding the responsibility of the individual to register when he is eligible. HJ539 - Court cases and their decisions affect those to whom they apply in the case not outside of it. If the alleged implications of the case need apply, request the justices to come to VA and enforce these alleged implications. On these grounds, the amendment should be rejected.

Oppose

Do not give the homosexuals any rights that everyone enjoys. They are not special but are a detriment to society. Please do not give 16 year olds voting privileges. Voting is a God given right that the US Constitution gives to everyone 18 and older. We should not want to lower the standard just so the demorats can get more votes. Do not give black face hypocrite northam more power so he can keep the state bottled up like he has done since March. Open up the state instead of giving him more supposed power. Do not find a constitutional amendment for climate change. All you need to do is go to the mountains of WV and you will see the climate is just fine. Do not regulate guns in polling places. I have a concealed weapons permit but I rarely use it. For people who do, there may be a time when you would wish that someone had a CHP and taken out the bad guy who is assaulting you or worse. Do not

Defeat this bill. Protect our families. Protect our children. Families are the foundation of society, and this bill would undermine the family, while hurting our children.

There are good reasons why our election system was set up the way it was! Vote NO on 1933- this basically disenfranchises Virginia voters. On HB 2239 yes, absentee ballots shoul absolutely be counted before the election- and not announced until the end of the Election Day. HJ539 God does not permit same-sex marriage. Neither should we.

I ask you to vote for HJ539 to remove from our state constitution this enshrined discrimination. The year the constitution was changed was the year my spouse came to terms with being transgender. So in addition to all the other changes in our lives, I had to worry whether the state was about to void our 30 year marriage. Even though that was not an effect of that 2006 change, it remains hurtful. My spouse, now my wife, and I remain married and renewed our vows in a religious ceremony. There are many churches and denominations that affirm the sanctity of same-sex marriage. One subset of religious sects has no right to claim that they alone can define who gets to marry. Please begin the process to remove the same-sex marriage prohibition from our Virginia Constitution.

Sierra Club supports all five of these bills recognizing that if the committee moves to report, that the proposed constitutional amendments addressing 1) the right to same sex marriage and 2) the right of felons to have their political rights restored will move forward as two separate proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Sierra Club supports the principle and right of people to marry who they love.  With that in mind we support the three bills to repeal the Virginia constitutional provision prohibiting marriage by persons of the same sex.   Sierra Club supports an inclusive democracy and urges passage of a constitutional amendment that restores to individuals who have completed their sentence of imprisonment or active supervision, their political rights, including the right to vote. 

On behalf of the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists, I wish to express opposition to HB539, HB557, HB582 on the principle that marriage is a religious institution which has been clearly identified as a union of a man and woman for thousands of years. While the will of the people may eventually remove this from our state constitution, it is my hope that this will in no way disenfranchise our churches which hold to a different view. Sincerely, Eddy Aliff Executive Director

The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports repealing the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman, and we support all marriages being treated equally under the law regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. The League also hopes the General Assembly will consider that the civil status of marriage is already clearly distinguished from the religious institution of marriage and that religious rights will be preserved without additional language. Thank you.

Since the founding of Virginia, self-made firearms have been legal, and this ban on 80% completed firearms frames would instantly make thousands of law-abiding citizens felons! For those who don't know, an 80% receiver is not considered a firearm under Federal Law, and it is legal to anyone who can own a firearm to purchase one of these receivers and finish it themselves. This is yet another effort by the anti-gun advocates to turn citizens into criminals. Not only that, but by eliminating the sale and possession of 80% receivers, completed or not, this is nothing but a full bore effort for complete and total firearm registration lists. Historically in America and other countries, gun registration lists lead to confiscation lists. Privacy is the number one reason people purchase 80% lower receiver kits. Because the kits are not functional weapons until further tooling, they do not have serial numbers, so they are not registered in any way. And like the 2nd Amendment clearly states, the right to bear arms shall not be infringed!

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

Please pass this. It’s the right thing to do.

I wholeheartedly and free of mind and will do attest, as a full citizen, my support of this bill. We need to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact so that the chaos of the 2020 election never happens again given such a clear popular vote winner. We need to stop PSC controlled corporations from contributing to those we vote to protect us from their near monopoly power which requires them to be regulated in the first place. Indeed, we should eliminate corporate contributions to political campaigns; bring campaigns back to the middle! Also, no more spending those campaign dollars on trips to fancy beaches and mountain resorts—that’s not why we give! Let the people vote, no more discrimination of any kind and if we let them drive at 16 they should be able to vote on those laws. If they were convicted of an unjust felonious infraction, such as marijuana possession, they should not have their voting rights abdicated so they can’t vote to overturn the unjust code through voting! And we need to keep our elections free and fair and not allow firearms at the polls to intimidate voters and politicians! I voted against the marriage act because I support the LGBTQ community and also support common law marriage protections for women. We need to amend this unconstitutional and disrespectful portion of our chief document.! We should be a Souls to the Polls state and have Sunday early voting! Absentee ballots should not be considered after-thought tie-breakers. They are legitimate ballots and should be counted as they came in. What happened in Pennsylvania should never happen here! Finally, I wish to state for the record as a citizen from the fastest growing region in the Commonwealth, the region from Reston/Great Falls to Leesburg, I was aghast when I saw of the 64 names legislators chose to send to the judges, not a single one the legislators selected was from this region. This is a major flaw of this Amendment—politicians as gatekeepers! But, we have the amendment and who knows what shenanigans the folks on the board will try. This is why we need fuller transparency with every action the committee takes under public scrutiny. Thank you and I sincerely hope you will pass this bill!

Chairman Levine, Members of the House P&E, Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter expresses its support for constitutional amendments on three topics that we believe expand and protect rights of Virginians to participate fully in our society and democracy. First, Sierra Club supports an amendment in the Virginia Constitution to guarantee the right to same sex marriage and expressly repealing the prohibition that currently mars our constitution. Second, Sierra Club supports the rights of those persons formerly incarcerated to have their citizenship rights, including the right to vote, fully restored. Virginia is in a distinct minority of states in not automatically restoring the rights of felons once time is served. The existing limitation is a sorry relic of our Jim Crow past. Finally, Sierra Club supports HJ556 which would enshrine in our state constitution the principles of environmental justice in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that no population, especially minority, low-income, or historically economically disadvantaged communities, faces higher levels or greater impacts of pollution and climate change than other populations. Examples of such discrimination are reflected across Virginia from interstate highway placement to the siting of industries with toxic emissions. Sadly, such practices continue today as represented by Union Hill, Virginia which was the proposed site of massive fracked gas compressor station. Thank you, Glen Besa

Do not give the homosexuals any rights that everyone enjoys. They are not special but are a detriment to society. Please do not give 16 year olds voting privileges. Voting is a God given right that the US Constitution gives to everyone 18 and older. We should not want to lower the standard just so the demorats can get more votes. Do not give black face hypocrite northam more power so he can keep the state bottled up like he has done since March. Open up the state instead of giving him more supposed power. Do not find a constitutional amendment for climate change. All you need to do is go to the mountains of WV and you will see the climate is just fine. Do not regulate guns in polling places. I have a concealed weapons permit but I rarely use it. For people who do, there may be a time when you would wish that someone had a CHP and taken out the bad guy who is assaulting you or worse. Do not

There are good reasons why our election system was set up the way it was! Vote NO on 1933- this basically disenfranchises Virginia voters. On HB 2239 yes, absentee ballots shoul absolutely be counted before the election- and not announced until the end of the Election Day. HJ539 God does not permit same-sex marriage. Neither should we.

My support is always with each of you. Thanks.

Gm I am glad to be here you have my support in all that we do.

Sierra Club supports all five of these bills recognizing that if the committee moves to report, that the proposed constitutional amendments addressing 1) the right to same sex marriage and 2) the right of felons to have their political rights restored will move forward as two separate proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Sierra Club supports the principle and right of people to marry who they love.  With that in mind we support the three bills to repeal the Virginia constitutional provision prohibiting marriage by persons of the same sex.   Sierra Club supports an inclusive democracy and urges passage of a constitutional amendment that restores to individuals who have completed their sentence of imprisonment or active supervision, their political rights, including the right to vote. 

I support HJ546 and HJ555 because voting should be a RIGHT and not a PRIVILEGE, which is what voting currently is under current Virginia law. EVERY Virginian should be able to vote, whether or not they have a felony on their record and whether or not they're currently or formally incarcerated.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) supports HJ 546, restoring voter access to all Virginians. Enshrining in the Constitution the disenfranchisement of entire classes of people runs in direct contrast to the cornerstone of democracy – voting rights. The United States has a long history of struggling to overcome voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression initiatives. Our nation also continues to struggle to fix our flawed criminal justice system. Both issues disproportionately target and harm minority and impoverished communities. Virginia’s constitution, by disenfranchising those caught in our flawed justice system, compounds the injustice. HJ 546 gives us the opportunity to break this connection and strengthen the democratic process.

I am the leader of the Arlington/Falls Church chapter of Spread the Vote, a 501c3 organization. I ask you to support this bill and report it to the full committee. Voting is a fundamental American right, but we have stripped nearly 400,000 Virginians of this right. They don’t lose other rights (e.g., freedom of speech, access to an attorney) even while incarcerated, yet they can’t vote for the people who pass laws that directly affect their lives. Most of those who are disenfranchised are people of color. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Black men in Virginia cannot vote because of felony disenfranchisement. This is a form of racial injustice. And keep in mind, many were trapped by the extremely low felony threshold of $200 that persisted for 38 years, from 1980 until 2018. If you stole a phone or pair of shoes worth $201 in early 2018, you were charged with a felony. Yes, if you steal, you should be punished; but the punishment should be reasonable. For more than 3 years, our Spread the Vote volunteers have helped returning citizens check to see if their voting rights have been restored. Many believed that their civil rights had been lost permanently, for life. We helped many apply to request the restoration of those rights. Some of them were surprised to find out that they could have been voting for many years because their rights had already been restored. For various reasons – homelessness, lack of access to the internet - they had not been notified. For years, they were denied access to one of their fundamental rights. Although we prefer that Virginia citizens aged 18 or older never lose their voting rights, even while incarcerated (as is true in Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia), at the very least, we should make the restoration of their civil rights automatic. We shouldn’t require them to jump through hoops and “beg” to have their voting rights restored by the Governor. Virginia is one of the few states that does NOT automatically restore voting rights to returning citizens upon the completion of their sentences. It’s time to join the rest of the states and recognize that this fundamental democratic right belongs to all our citizens. Please support this bill. I do have one final request: I would ask the patron and this committee to delete the words, “or active supervision”, which will delay the rights restoration by many years. Once the returning citizen steps through the prison gates, they have served their sentence. They have been punished for their crime. Let us support them as they return to their community by restoring their full civil rights automatically. Thank you. Chris DeRosa Arlington, VA Resources: Sentencing Project https://www.sentencingproject.org/issues/voting-rights/ National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

Remove the Gov. exception. This way the political views of one man doesn't override anything else. We the taxpaying voters are sick of Russian/Chinese dictatorships in 1st amendment America. I'm an independent, sick of partisan party politics.

Felony disenfranchisement, in my view, has its origins in racism and efforts to block black citizens from voting. Its continuation to the present day is an example of systemic racism in action. Felony disenfranchisement continues to effect a far higher proportion of black citizens than white citizens, as a result of inequities in the criminal justice system. It is not clear to me why the right to vote is taken away from citizens who are convicted of crimes and incarcerated. The United States stands out in the developed world as having the greatest level of such disenfranchisement. Many countries limit such disenfranchisement and some countries (such as Israel) do not have any disenfranchisement for convicted felons. Within the United States, the degree of disenfranchisement varies, with 2 states (Maine and Vermont) and the District of Columbia having none. Virginia has been and continues to be one of the most restrictive, with restoration of voting rights not occurring automatically after a sentence has been completed. My view is that voting rights should never be removed from a citizen as a result of a crime that person has committed. I therefore view the current amendments (HJ 546 and HJ 555) as a step in the right direction, but not a satisfactory endpoint. I do, however, support them because they do represent a step in the right direction and perhaps this is all that can be accomplished at the current time.

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

Please support this constitutional amendment. Instead of continuing to disenfranchise felons who have done their time, we should be welcoming them back into responsible citizenship. Felony disenfranchisement is a relic of the Jim Crow constitution. It flies in the face of any Christian (or member of any other faith) who believes in redemption. We should not force individuals struggling to find a job and re-enter society to humbly petition for restoration of their rights as American citizens. They are and remain citizens and should be treated with respect. To do otherwise only reinforces the pressures on individuals that lead to recidivism. I don't think any of us want that. Banish Jim Crow, please support the amendments.

I am in support of HJ546 that allows felons to vote after being released from jail/prison; however, I am in disagreement that they should not be allowed to vote while under supervision. I believe once they are released, they are again part of our society and should be allowed to vote. The 13th Amendment states that slavery and involuntary servitude are punishments for crimes that persons have been convicted of, and the 15th Amendment states that previous condition of servitude shall not abridge the right to vote. I sincerely thank you for listening to my comments and concerns.

Fair Elections Center writes in support of HJ 555 because, as amended in subcommittee, it will allow Virginia to join the many states that currently end disenfranchisement when persons with felony convictions are no longer incarcerated; it is consistent with a national trend toward enfranchisement; and it will reduce public confusion surrounding voter eligibility requirements. Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform organization that works to remove barriers to registration and voting for traditionally underrepresented constituencies. The Center engages in legislation and litigation seeking to reform state felony disenfranchisement laws across the country. Fair Elections Center urges you to move this resolution forward for the following reasons: Under HJ555, Virginia would join many states with this approach. Virginia is among only a few states whose constitution leaves all persons with felony convictions disenfranchised subject to the discretion of a government official, here the governor. By contrast, eighteen states currently restore voting rights to persons with felony convictions upon their release from prison, among them Utah, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. The Sentencing Project estimates that over 64,000 Virginians on felony probation are disenfranchised, along with over 366,000 individuals post-sentence. People who have studied the issue have found promising evidence that restoration of the right to vote is positively correlated with a reduction in recidivism. Controlling for other factors, the study found that those with a previous arrest who subsequently voted were considerably less likely to be rearrested than those who did not. This makes sense: if we want people to rejoin society and live productive, law-abiding lives, then we should reintegrate them into society. As that study’s authors write, “[v]oting appears to be part of a package of prosocial behavior that is linked to desistance from crime.” These returning citizens work, pay taxes, raise families, go to church, coach sports, and yet cannot participate in our civic life. This resolution is also consistent with the overwhelming nationwide trend. In 2016, Maryland changed its laws to effect restoration of the right to vote following release from incarceration. In 2019, Colorado enacted HB 1266 and Nevada passed AB 431, amending the states’ reenfranchisement laws to restore the right to vote to individuals on parole and probation. Furthermore, since 2018, New York and Louisiana have moved up the point of restoration for many returning citizens; Texas and Delaware have eliminated their waiting periods for restoration. The trend is towards easing returning citizens’ path back into civic life. Passing this amendment would eliminate the administrative burdens of rights restoration in Virginia, eliminate confusion due to the process, and remove the risk of leaving restoration solely in the Governor’s hands. Many otherwise-eligible returning citizens may not realize that their rights have been individually restored or are not familiar with the option to apply for restoration, and may avoid registration, fearing criminal repercussions. Establishing a clear rule that persons with felony convictions are restored to their voting rights upon release from incarceration is far more administrable as well as less confusing for voters. Fair Elections Center urges you to move this resolution forward.

I am the leader of the Arlington/Falls Church chapter of Spread the Vote, a 501c3 organization. I ask you to support this bill and report it to the House for a vote. Voting is a fundamental American right, but we have stripped nearly 400,000 Virginians of this right. Another 12,000 will lose their civil rights this year. They don’t lose other rights (e.g., freedom of speech and religion, access to an attorney) even while incarcerated, yet they can’t vote for the people who pass laws that directly affect their lives. Most of those who are disenfranchised are people of color. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Black men in Virginia cannot vote because of felony disenfranchisement. This is a form of racial injustice. And keep in mind, many were trapped by the extremely low felony threshold of $200 that persisted for 38 years, from 1980 until 2018. If you stole a phone or pair of shoes worth $201 in early 2018, you were charged with a felony. Yes, if you steal, you should be punished; but the punishment should not strip you of your fundamental Constitutional rights. For more than 3 years, our Spread the Vote volunteers have helped returning citizens check to see if their voting rights have been restored. Many believed that their civil rights had been lost permanently, for life. We helped many apply to request the restoration of those rights. Some of them were surprised to find out that they could have been voting for many years because their rights had already been restored. For various reasons – homelessness, lack of access to the internet - they had not been notified. For years, they were denied access to one of their fundamental rights. Although we prefer that Virginia citizens aged 18 or older never lose their voting rights, even while incarcerated (as is true in Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia), at the very least, we should make the restoration of their civil rights automatic. We shouldn’t require them to jump through hoops and “beg” to have their voting rights restored by the Governor. Virginia is one of the few states that does NOT automatically restore voting rights to returning citizens upon the completion of their sentences. It’s time to join the rest of the states and recognize that this fundamental democratic right belongs to all our citizens. Please support this bill and report it to the full House for a vote. Thank you. Resources: Sentencing Project https://www.sentencingproject.org/issues/voting-rights/ National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

I am the leader of the Arlington/Falls Church chapter of Spread the Vote, a 501c3 organization. I ask you to support this bill and report it to the full committee. Voting is a fundamental American right, but we have stripped nearly 400,000 Virginians of this right. Another 12,000 will lose their civil rights this year. They don’t lose other rights (e.g., freedom of speech and religion, access to an attorney) even while incarcerated, yet they can’t vote for the people who pass laws that directly affect their lives. Most of those who are disenfranchised are people of color. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Black men in Virginia cannot vote because of felony disenfranchisement. This is a form of racial injustice. And keep in mind, many were trapped by the extremely low felony threshold of $200 that persisted for 38 years, from 1980 until 2018. If you stole a phone or pair of shoes worth $201 in early 2018, you were charged with a felony. Yes, if you steal, you should be punished; but the punishment should be reasonable. For more than 3 years, our Spread the Vote volunteers have helped returning citizens check to see if their voting rights have been restored. Many believed that their civil rights had been lost permanently, for life. We helped many apply to request the restoration of those rights. Some of them were surprised to find out that they could have been voting for many years because their rights had already been restored. For various reasons – homelessness, lack of access to the internet - they had not been notified. For years, they were denied access to one of their fundamental rights. Although we prefer that Virginia citizens aged 18 or older never lose their voting rights, even while incarcerated (as is true in Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia), at the very least, we should make the restoration of their civil rights automatic. We shouldn’t require them to jump through hoops and “beg” to have their voting rights restored by the Governor. Virginia is one of the few states that does NOT automatically restore voting rights to returning citizens upon the completion of their sentences. It’s time to join the rest of the states and recognize that this fundamental democratic right belongs to all our citizens. Please support this bill and report it to the full House for a vote. Thank you. Chris DeRosa (she, her) Resources: Sentencing Project https://www.sentencingproject.org/issues/voting-rights/ National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

I urge your support for HJ555 - automatic restoration of voting rights to convicted - and believe rights should be restored after imprisonment, not after any additional supervision, community service, fines, or restitution. Keep it simple, and end this sad vestige of our Jim Crow past.

I am Stephanie Metherall, a third year law student in the University of Virginia School of Law’s State and Local Government Policy Clinic. My testimony in favor of HJ 555 reflects my own views, and not those of the Law School or UVA. At the January 25th meeting, I spoke about the national landscape of rights restoration, and Virginia’s disappointing place on the list of the 10 most restrictive states, which includes Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Today, I’d like to reiterate that point, and describe the legal importance of Virginia adopting HJ 555 and a more forgiving restoration scheme that will make our communities safer. The amended legislation strikes an important balance between protecting communities and protecting the individual right to vote. Research shows that restoring a person’s right to vote creates a sense of social belonging that can be crucial to reducing criminal recidivism. A Florida study in 2011 found that people whose rights were restored were three times less likely to return to prison than those who were disenfranchised. Research also shows that disenfranchisement can lead to antisocial or criminal behavior, while restoration can lead to the adoption of community values, reducing recidivism. Our current system sees the denial of the right to vote as a continuation of the punishment inflicted by incarceration. Instead, I urge you to consider the restoration of that same right as a continuation of the rehabilitation granted by incarceration. Reframing our approach to post-incarceration rights, and adjusting our legal scheme to match that approach, results in greater safety for all Virginians. I hope you will support HJ 555 for the many reasons discussed last week and today. Thank you.

Good Morning, As a long time civil rights and community advocate for more than fair justice for ALL citizens, I speak to share that many Virginia voters and citizens strongly support HJ555. As a primary right and obligation, the right to vote should be fully restored immediately upon release from incarceration, so our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and other relatives can move on to becoming whole citizens here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In voting to pass HJ555, your vote will help move Virginia into the ranks of the majority of states that respect its citizens who have repaid their debts to society, as subscribed by our court system. Thanks for the opportunity to submit/make these comments.

I urge you to pass HJ 555. I support the idea that because voting should is a right, and that every Virginian should be able to vote, whether or not they have a felony on their record and whether or not they're currently or formally incarcerated. Our Democracy is stronger with inclusion, not exclusion. Please support this bill.

Chairman Levine, Members of the House P&E, Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter expresses its support for constitutional amendments on three topics that we believe expand and protect rights of Virginians to participate fully in our society and democracy. First, Sierra Club supports an amendment in the Virginia Constitution to guarantee the right to same sex marriage and expressly repealing the prohibition that currently mars our constitution. Second, Sierra Club supports the rights of those persons formerly incarcerated to have their citizenship rights, including the right to vote, fully restored. Virginia is in a distinct minority of states in not automatically restoring the rights of felons once time is served. The existing limitation is a sorry relic of our Jim Crow past. Finally, Sierra Club supports HJ556 which would enshrine in our state constitution the principles of environmental justice in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that no population, especially minority, low-income, or historically economically disadvantaged communities, faces higher levels or greater impacts of pollution and climate change than other populations. Examples of such discrimination are reflected across Virginia from interstate highway placement to the siting of industries with toxic emissions. Sadly, such practices continue today as represented by Union Hill, Virginia which was the proposed site of massive fracked gas compressor station. Thank you, Glen Besa

I am the leader of the Arlington/Falls Church chapter of Spread the Vote, a 501c3 organization. My volunteers and I have worked with many returning citizens who have been disenfranchised. On their behalf, I again ask you to support HJ555 and report it to the full committee, and from there, to the House floor for a vote. Thank you for amending HJ555 by removing the words, “or active supervision”. This will remove the confusion that that phrase conveyed; and this change would remove the additional time that a returning citizen must wait before being eligible to vote or serve on a jury. Vote AYE on HJ 555. Support Virginians as they return to their communities and re-establish their lives. Thank you.

Do not give the homosexuals any rights that everyone enjoys. They are not special but are a detriment to society. Please do not give 16 year olds voting privileges. Voting is a God given right that the US Constitution gives to everyone 18 and older. We should not want to lower the standard just so the demorats can get more votes. Do not give black face hypocrite northam more power so he can keep the state bottled up like he has done since March. Open up the state instead of giving him more supposed power. Do not find a constitutional amendment for climate change. All you need to do is go to the mountains of WV and you will see the climate is just fine. Do not regulate guns in polling places. I have a concealed weapons permit but I rarely use it. For people who do, there may be a time when you would wish that someone had a CHP and taken out the bad guy who is assaulting you or worse. Do not

My support is always with each of you. Thanks.

Gm I am glad to be here you have my support in all that we do.

Sierra Club supports all five of these bills recognizing that if the committee moves to report, that the proposed constitutional amendments addressing 1) the right to same sex marriage and 2) the right of felons to have their political rights restored will move forward as two separate proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Sierra Club supports the principle and right of people to marry who they love.  With that in mind we support the three bills to repeal the Virginia constitutional provision prohibiting marriage by persons of the same sex.   Sierra Club supports an inclusive democracy and urges passage of a constitutional amendment that restores to individuals who have completed their sentence of imprisonment or active supervision, their political rights, including the right to vote. 

I support HJ546 and HJ555 because voting should be a RIGHT and not a PRIVILEGE, which is what voting currently is under current Virginia law. EVERY Virginian should be able to vote, whether or not they have a felony on their record and whether or not they're currently or formally incarcerated.

I am the leader of the Arlington/Falls Church chapter of Spread the Vote, a 501c3 organization. I ask you to support this bill and report it to the full committee. Voting is a fundamental American right, but we have stripped nearly 400,000 Virginians of this right. They don’t lose other rights (e.g., freedom of speech, access to an attorney) even while incarcerated, yet they can’t vote for the people who pass laws that directly affect their lives. Most of those who are disenfranchised are people of color. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Black men in Virginia cannot vote because of felony disenfranchisement. This is a form of racial injustice. And keep in mind, many were trapped by the extremely low felony threshold of $200 that persisted for 38 years, from 1980 until 2018. If you stole a phone or pair of shoes worth $201 in early 2018, you were charged with a felony. Yes, if you steal, you should be punished; but the punishment should be reasonable. For more than 3 years, our Spread the Vote volunteers have helped returning citizens check to see if their voting rights have been restored. Many believed that their civil rights had been lost permanently, for life. We helped many apply to request the restoration of those rights. Some of them were surprised to find out that they could have been voting for many years because their rights had already been restored. For various reasons – homelessness, lack of access to the internet - they had not been notified. For years, they were denied access to one of their fundamental rights. Although we prefer that Virginia citizens aged 18 or older never lose their voting rights, even while incarcerated (as is true in Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia), at the very least, we should make the restoration of their civil rights automatic. We shouldn’t require them to jump through hoops and “beg” to have their voting rights restored by the Governor. Virginia is one of the few states that does NOT automatically restore voting rights to returning citizens upon the completion of their sentences. It’s time to join the rest of the states and recognize that this fundamental democratic right belongs to all our citizens. Please support this bill. I do have one final request: I would ask the patron and this committee to delete the words, “or active supervision”, which will delay the rights restoration by many years. Once the returning citizen steps through the prison gates, they have served their sentence. They have been punished for their crime. Let us support them as they return to their community by restoring their full civil rights automatically. Thank you. Chris DeRosa Arlington, VA Resources: Sentencing Project https://www.sentencingproject.org/issues/voting-rights/ National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

Stop trying to change the constitution and uphold what is already there. Stop trying to change gun laws that effect law abiding citizens. If you want to take guns away start with taking them from criminals. You know the gun laws you all create only hurts law abiding citizens. If you would enforce the laws you already have, you wouldn't need to make any more laws. Do your research people, the numbers don't lie. Less than 500 people a year are killed by all rifles. More people are killed by hands and feet than rifles. More people are killed by hammers, bats, and blunt objects. Do your research people. You need to wake up and think for yourself. The facts are there, stop ignoring them.

Remove the Gov. exception. This way the political views of one man doesn't override anything else. We the taxpaying voters are sick of Russian/Chinese dictatorships in 1st amendment America. I'm an independent, sick of partisan party politics.

Felony disenfranchisement, in my view, has its origins in racism and efforts to block black citizens from voting. Its continuation to the present day is an example of systemic racism in action. Felony disenfranchisement continues to effect a far higher proportion of black citizens than white citizens, as a result of inequities in the criminal justice system. It is not clear to me why the right to vote is taken away from citizens who are convicted of crimes and incarcerated. The United States stands out in the developed world as having the greatest level of such disenfranchisement. Many countries limit such disenfranchisement and some countries (such as Israel) do not have any disenfranchisement for convicted felons. Within the United States, the degree of disenfranchisement varies, with 2 states (Maine and Vermont) and the District of Columbia having none. Virginia has been and continues to be one of the most restrictive, with restoration of voting rights not occurring automatically after a sentence has been completed. My view is that voting rights should never be removed from a citizen as a result of a crime that person has committed. I therefore view the current amendments (HJ 546 and HJ 555) as a step in the right direction, but not a satisfactory endpoint. I do, however, support them because they do represent a step in the right direction and perhaps this is all that can be accomplished at the current time.

I strongly support this bill, and I suggest removing the clause that governs the restoration of voting rights "once the governor has restored the convicted felon's civil rights." This restoration of voting rights should happen automatically at the conclusion of a convict's sentence served, no exceptions.

I am against this amendment. As I understand it, the reason the penalties for the felony is so high is, in part, to discourage the commission of the felony in the first place - not so you just "do your time" and then "move on with life" - that's how it works with misdemeanors, but not felonies. If felons wish to have their rights restored, that's where pardons come in, but otherwise, no - doing the time means you're freed from prison, but not that you get all your rights back. If you want to keep your rights, don't commit the felony in the first place.

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

Please support this constitutional amendment. Instead of continuing to disenfranchise felons who have done their time, we should be welcoming them back into responsible citizenship. Felony disenfranchisement is a relic of the Jim Crow constitution. It flies in the face of any Christian (or member of any other faith) who believes in redemption. We should not force individuals struggling to find a job and re-enter society to humbly petition for restoration of their rights as American citizens. They are and remain citizens and should be treated with respect. To do otherwise only reinforces the pressures on individuals that lead to recidivism. I don't think any of us want that. Banish Jim Crow, please support the amendments.

Chairman and Members of this Committee, I support HJ55 that allows felons to vote after being released from jail/prison; however, I am in disagreement that they should not be allowed to vote while under supervision. I believe once they are released, they are again part of our society and should be allowed to vote in accordance with our Constitution. The 13th Amendment states that slavery and involuntary servitude are punishments for crimes that persons have been convicted of, and the 15th Amendment states that previous condition of servitude shall not abridge the right to vote. I sincerely thank you for listening to my comments and concerns.

I wholeheartedly and free of mind and will do attest, as a full citizen, my support of this bill. We need to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact so that the chaos of the 2020 election never happens again given such a clear popular vote winner. We need to stop PSC controlled corporations from contributing to those we vote to protect us from their near monopoly power which requires them to be regulated in the first place. Indeed, we should eliminate corporate contributions to political campaigns; bring campaigns back to the middle! Also, no more spending those campaign dollars on trips to fancy beaches and mountain resorts—that’s not why we give! Let the people vote, no more discrimination of any kind and if we let them drive at 16 they should be able to vote on those laws. If they were convicted of an unjust felonious infraction, such as marijuana possession, they should not have their voting rights abdicated so they can’t vote to overturn the unjust code through voting! And we need to keep our elections free and fair and not allow firearms at the polls to intimidate voters and politicians! I voted against the marriage act because I support the LGBTQ community and also support common law marriage protections for women. We need to amend this unconstitutional and disrespectful portion of our chief document.! We should be a Souls to the Polls state and have Sunday early voting! Absentee ballots should not be considered after-thought tie-breakers. They are legitimate ballots and should be counted as they came in. What happened in Pennsylvania should never happen here! Finally, I wish to state for the record as a citizen from the fastest growing region in the Commonwealth, the region from Reston/Great Falls to Leesburg, I was aghast when I saw of the 64 names legislators chose to send to the judges, not a single one the legislators selected was from this region. This is a major flaw of this Amendment—politicians as gatekeepers! But, we have the amendment and who knows what shenanigans the folks on the board will try. This is why we need fuller transparency with every action the committee takes under public scrutiny. Thank you and I sincerely hope you will pass this bill!

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee I would like to support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. Everyone should have the right to marry and stay marry who they love without fearing that somehow the language within our constitution will delegitimize their marriage. Virginia's tourism slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers". It is time we follow through with our slogan and strengthen marriage equality for all Virginians.

In support of HJ539, HJ557, and HJ582 - as an advocate and a queer, Asian American Virginian in a committed non-heterosexual partnership. My partner and I are life-long Virginians, and we plan to get married. My partner is a trans woman with chronic health conditions and legislative vulnerabilities like this make me scared. If my partner were in a medical emergency, I want to be the one who manages her care (as next-of-kin) - not a complete stranger or an estranged family member - because I know her health, history, and character the best. Similarly, if something were to happen to me, I would want her to act on my behalf because she knows me and cares about me the best. To think our union could be voided one day, and that we would not be able to provide, protect, or care for each other is absolutely frightening. I love my partner and these amendments would help us secure our individual and collective futures and health, and do so for hundreds of thousands of others.

Please support marriage equality so that all Virginians may have equal rights. Thank you for your hard work and dedication Virginia Jenkot

This vote will get us one step closer to removing the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. With the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, many Virginians are concerned about the future of marriage equality. Virginia took an important step forward during last year's General Assembly session and updated the Code to reflect marriage equality, and now we must take the next step and update the state constitution.

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee, NAKASEC Virginia wholeheartedly supports constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to marry for everyone in Virginia.

My husband and I are parents to an adult gay son and we support the House bills to remove the marriage discriminatory language from Virginia’s constitution. Our son attended high school and college in Virginia, was a corps member with Teach for America, and graduated from a top Ivy League law school. He not only is successful professionally but also is a caring, kind, and overall good person. He fulfills his responsibilities as a productive member of society and likewise should be entitled to all the rights and benefits afforded thereto. He should have the right to marry the person of his choice.

Please begin the process of removing the ban on same sex marriage from the Virginia constitution. Our constitution should not enshrine discrimination. Nor should it favor one narrow interpretation of Christianity over all the denominations that support same sex marriage. I want Virginia to value my marriage just like any other.

I write in support of HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. These actions would align the Virginia Constitution with the decisions of the United States Supreme Court that make marriage equality the law of the land. Virginia gave the world the language of equality, and articulated the Bill of Rights for the nation. We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that all of us are equal before the law and in the eyes of God. Your action on these items restores to Virginia’s Constitution those fundamental convictions that make the commonwealth a beacon of hope for the disenfranchised and those who still suffer discrimination around the world. Thank you for your careful consideration and actions on behalf of liberty and equality.

Fully support these bills --- marriage equality is an important family value!

I (and my family of 4) strongly support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. There is no place in the law for discrimination. And marriage equality is not just the way we support the human dignity of all (although that is a good enough reason to guarantee it). It is also the way to support stable relationships and stable families of LGBTQ individuals, which has societal benefits inherent to the purpose of civil marriage. Please remove the archaic and discrimatory constitutional provision on same-sex marriage.

I support bills HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. It's past time to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Virginia needs to guarantee equality, justice and fairness for ALL residents. Thank you.

I strongly support legislation to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Given the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, I am deeply concern about the future of marriage equality and the potential repercussions for my family. Please act swiftly in the interest of LGBTQ+ families across the Commonwealth and make it a priority to update the state constitution.

I support HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. Please pass these important bills to remove the discriminatory marriage amendment. Thank you for making Virginia a fair and just place to live for ALL Virginians!

Chairman Levine, Members of the House P&E, Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter expresses its support for constitutional amendments on three topics that we believe expand and protect rights of Virginians to participate fully in our society and democracy. First, Sierra Club supports an amendment in the Virginia Constitution to guarantee the right to same sex marriage and expressly repealing the prohibition that currently mars our constitution. Second, Sierra Club supports the rights of those persons formerly incarcerated to have their citizenship rights, including the right to vote, fully restored. Virginia is in a distinct minority of states in not automatically restoring the rights of felons once time is served. The existing limitation is a sorry relic of our Jim Crow past. Finally, Sierra Club supports HJ556 which would enshrine in our state constitution the principles of environmental justice in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that no population, especially minority, low-income, or historically economically disadvantaged communities, faces higher levels or greater impacts of pollution and climate change than other populations. Examples of such discrimination are reflected across Virginia from interstate highway placement to the siting of industries with toxic emissions. Sadly, such practices continue today as represented by Union Hill, Virginia which was the proposed site of massive fracked gas compressor station. Thank you, Glen Besa

Honored delegates, I hope that you will act to take the next steps in getting rid of the lingering effects of the Marshall-Newman amendment. As a Virginia citizen for more than 50 years, I'd like to see the Commonwealth take a full stand on equality with HJ 339, 557, and 582. Please do the right thing. Why do I care? I am in a 40-year committed lesbian relationship. We got married in Toronto in 2006, having given up hope of marrying legally here. I am grateful to AG Herring for having acted quickly to bring Virginia in line with the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015; what a thrilling day that was at Arlington County Courthouse! And I am grateful to the Assembly for the progress of 2020. In practical terms, the Marshall-Newman amendment makes no direct difference to my wife and me anymore. But it's still on the books. Why is that? That amendment was nothing but prejudice, pure and simple. In 40 years together, my wife and I have been active in our professional roles and in our community. We have supported each other in job losses, the decline and death of parents and family members, cancer, and now dementia. My wife could no longer live alone at this point, and she's not even 70; she'll probably be around another 15 or 20 years. How would that work without me? Without our legal marriage and the protections that it provides? Please stand up for equality and equity. It's the third decade of the 21st Century, and it's high time. Thank you for your public service. Sincerely, Diane Ullius Arlington

I have been a resident of Virginia since attending the University of Virginia beginning in 1973. I chose to remain in Virginia as a gay man because of my faith at that time that the essential conservative nature of the state would constrain state action to regulate my private life. I have been in a committed relationship with my now husband, a native Virginian, for the last 35 of those years. I stuck with Virginia through the radical changes in the treatment of my privacy by my adopted state. I have endured decades of vilification of my very existence from the Commonwealth, including the 2006 constitutional amendment. I have incurred considerable expense over many years to protect my rights and my property by actions that no married couple in the Commonwealth need do to protect their property and rights, only then to be told that even that would not protect me. No meaningful apology or remuneration has been forthcoming from the Commonwealth. It continues to be deeply hurtful to me that this hateful provision remains on the books even though made moot by the United States Supreme Court years ago and is no longer supported by a majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth according to many reliable polls. I want an apology for the unequal treatment I have endured for nearly 50 years while a tax paying citizen of the Commonwealth. The closest thing the Commonwealth can do to meaningfully atone for the wrong that it has done to my life is to remove these provisions from the Constitution which demean me and my marriage. If the Commonwealth is to renew its hateful treatment of my marriage in future, it needs to be made difficult by requiring a new Constitutional amendment and the deliberative due process that would be attendant to that. It is wholly unacceptable to me that the Commonwealth could potentially disrespect me again using this invalid Constitutional provision to threaten my financial security and my existence. I want the apology that I am due and I want the security I deserve. I cannot imagine that any citizen of this Commonwealth with self respect would want any less.

In support of Marriage equality. Please make it known and legal for all in Virginia. We are a married gay couple and want to remain legally married. Thanks, Jeff Wetter, Scott Sayre

Do not give the homosexuals any rights that everyone enjoys. They are not special but are a detriment to society. Please do not give 16 year olds voting privileges. Voting is a God given right that the US Constitution gives to everyone 18 and older. We should not want to lower the standard just so the demorats can get more votes. Do not give black face hypocrite northam more power so he can keep the state bottled up like he has done since March. Open up the state instead of giving him more supposed power. Do not find a constitutional amendment for climate change. All you need to do is go to the mountains of WV and you will see the climate is just fine. Do not regulate guns in polling places. I have a concealed weapons permit but I rarely use it. For people who do, there may be a time when you would wish that someone had a CHP and taken out the bad guy who is assaulting you or worse. Do not

Sierra Club supports all five of these bills recognizing that if the committee moves to report, that the proposed constitutional amendments addressing 1) the right to same sex marriage and 2) the right of felons to have their political rights restored will move forward as two separate proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Sierra Club supports the principle and right of people to marry who they love.  With that in mind we support the three bills to repeal the Virginia constitutional provision prohibiting marriage by persons of the same sex.   Sierra Club supports an inclusive democracy and urges passage of a constitutional amendment that restores to individuals who have completed their sentence of imprisonment or active supervision, their political rights, including the right to vote. 

On behalf of the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists, I wish to express opposition to HB539, HB557, HB582 on the principle that marriage is a religious institution which has been clearly identified as a union of a man and woman for thousands of years. While the will of the people may eventually remove this from our state constitution, it is my hope that this will in no way disenfranchise our churches which hold to a different view. Sincerely, Eddy Aliff Executive Director

The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports repealing the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman, and we support all marriages being treated equally under the law regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. The League also hopes the General Assembly will consider that the civil status of marriage is already clearly distinguished from the religious institution of marriage and that religious rights will be preserved without additional language. Thank you.

Stop trying to change the constitution and uphold what is already there. Stop trying to change gun laws that effect law abiding citizens. If you want to take guns away start with taking them from criminals. You know the gun laws you all create only hurts law abiding citizens. If you would enforce the laws you already have, you wouldn't need to make any more laws. Do your research people, the numbers don't lie. Less than 500 people a year are killed by all rifles. More people are killed by hands and feet than rifles. More people are killed by hammers, bats, and blunt objects. Do your research people. You need to wake up and think for yourself. The facts are there, stop ignoring them.

Since the founding of Virginia, self-made firearms have been legal, and this ban on 80% completed firearms frames would instantly make thousands of law-abiding citizens felons! For those who don't know, an 80% receiver is not considered a firearm under Federal Law, and it is legal to anyone who can own a firearm to purchase one of these receivers and finish it themselves. This is yet another effort by the anti-gun advocates to turn citizens into criminals. Not only that, but by eliminating the sale and possession of 80% receivers, completed or not, this is nothing but a full bore effort for complete and total firearm registration lists. Historically in America and other countries, gun registration lists lead to confiscation lists. Privacy is the number one reason people purchase 80% lower receiver kits. Because the kits are not functional weapons until further tooling, they do not have serial numbers, so they are not registered in any way. And like the 2nd Amendment clearly states, the right to bear arms shall not be infringed!

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

Any discriminatory language aimed at same sex marriages should be taken out.

The Supreme Court has determined that marriage is not only between a man and a woman but between two people regardless of sex or gender. By continuing to perpetuate outdated ideas related to marriage, the state of Virginia will deprive numerous people of their fundamental right to marry the people they love. Marriage equality for all people supports the institution of family by allowing all people to enter into unions, create families, and raise children. For these and countless other reasons, the same-sex prohibition must be removed.

In the legendary case of OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL the Supreme Court of the United States decided that love is love and that guarantees the right to same sex marriage. For a state such as Virginia to be so pretentious to assume it is above the law in constitution is not only regressive , deplorable and downright asinine, but the people have a duty to fight for their freedom to love and right to marry. Thus I am writing today to demand the removal of same sex marriage prohibition. I will not waste my time on arguing the truth for you know this world is progressing towards liberation and equality for all so either you fade away with with your staunchness or educate yourself on and change your hearts on this matter among others.

In the legendary case of OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL the Supreme Court of the United States decided that love is love and that guarantees the right to same sex marriage. For a state such as Virginia to be so pretentious to assume it is above the law in constitution is not only regressive , deplorable and downright asinine, but the people have a duty to fight for their freedom to love and right to marry. Thus I am writing today to demand the removal of same sex marriage prohibition. I will not waste my time on arguing the truth for you know this world is progressing towards liberation and equality for all so either you fade away with with your staunchness or educate yourself on and change your hearts on this matter among others.

I support this bill and the right everyone has for marriage equality. Discriminatory language does not belong in VA's constitution. Our slogan is VA for lovers and we should embrace that for all.

Yes, prohibitions must be removed. This is a right for all

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee I would like to support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. Everyone should have the right to marry and stay marry who they love without fearing that somehow the language within our constitution will delegitimize their marriage. Virginia's tourism slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers". It is time we follow through with our slogan and strengthen marriage equality for all Virginians.

I support the constitutional amendment to remove the prohibition on same-sex marriage. The current language is discriminatory and it needs to be formally written out of the Virginia state constitution.

In support of HJ539, HJ557, and HJ582 - as an advocate and a queer, Asian American Virginian in a committed non-heterosexual partnership. My partner and I are life-long Virginians, and we plan to get married. My partner is a trans woman with chronic health conditions and legislative vulnerabilities like this make me scared. If my partner were in a medical emergency, I want to be the one who manages her care (as next-of-kin) - not a complete stranger or an estranged family member - because I know her health, history, and character the best. Similarly, if something were to happen to me, I would want her to act on my behalf because she knows me and cares about me the best. To think our union could be voided one day, and that we would not be able to provide, protect, or care for each other is absolutely frightening. I love my partner and these amendments would help us secure our individual and collective futures and health, and do so for hundreds of thousands of others.

This vote will get us one step closer to removing the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. With the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, many Virginians are concerned about the future of marriage equality. Virginia took an important step forward during last year's General Assembly session and updated the Code to reflect marriage equality, and now we must take the next step and update the state constitution.

Chairman Levine, Members of the House Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee of the P&E Committee, NAKASEC Virginia wholeheartedly supports constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to marry for everyone in Virginia.

My husband and I are parents to an adult gay son and we support the House bills to remove the marriage discriminatory language from Virginia’s constitution. Our son attended high school and college in Virginia, was a corps member with Teach for America, and graduated from a top Ivy League law school. He not only is successful professionally but also is a caring, kind, and overall good person. He fulfills his responsibilities as a productive member of society and likewise should be entitled to all the rights and benefits afforded thereto. He should have the right to marry the person of his choice.

Please begin the process of removing the ban on same sex marriage from the Virginia constitution. Our constitution should not enshrine discrimination. Nor should it favor one narrow interpretation of Christianity over all the denominations that support same sex marriage. I want Virginia to value my marriage just like any other.

I write in support of HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. These actions would align the Virginia Constitution with the decisions of the United States Supreme Court that make marriage equality the law of the land. Virginia gave the world the language of equality, and articulated the Bill of Rights for the nation. We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that all of us are equal before the law and in the eyes of God. Your action on these items restores to Virginia’s Constitution those fundamental convictions that make the commonwealth a beacon of hope for the disenfranchised and those who still suffer discrimination around the world. Thank you for your careful consideration and actions on behalf of liberty and equality.

Fully support these bills --- marriage equality is an important family value!

I (and my family of 4) strongly support HJ 539, HJ 557, and HJ 582. There is no place in the law for discrimination. And marriage equality is not just the way we support the human dignity of all (although that is a good enough reason to guarantee it). It is also the way to support stable relationships and stable families of LGBTQ individuals, which has societal benefits inherent to the purpose of civil marriage. Please remove the archaic and discrimatory constitutional provision on same-sex marriage.

I support bills HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. It's past time to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Virginia needs to guarantee equality, justice and fairness for ALL residents. Thank you.

I strongly support legislation to remove the anti-marriage equality amendment from the Virginia constitution. Given the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, I am deeply concern about the future of marriage equality and the potential repercussions for my family. Please act swiftly in the interest of LGBTQ+ families across the Commonwealth and make it a priority to update the state constitution.

I support HJ 539, HJ 557 and HJ 582. Please pass these important bills to remove the discriminatory marriage amendment. Thank you for making Virginia a fair and just place to live for ALL Virginians!

Chairman Levine, Members of the House P&E, Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter expresses its support for constitutional amendments on three topics that we believe expand and protect rights of Virginians to participate fully in our society and democracy. First, Sierra Club supports an amendment in the Virginia Constitution to guarantee the right to same sex marriage and expressly repealing the prohibition that currently mars our constitution. Second, Sierra Club supports the rights of those persons formerly incarcerated to have their citizenship rights, including the right to vote, fully restored. Virginia is in a distinct minority of states in not automatically restoring the rights of felons once time is served. The existing limitation is a sorry relic of our Jim Crow past. Finally, Sierra Club supports HJ556 which would enshrine in our state constitution the principles of environmental justice in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that no population, especially minority, low-income, or historically economically disadvantaged communities, faces higher levels or greater impacts of pollution and climate change than other populations. Examples of such discrimination are reflected across Virginia from interstate highway placement to the siting of industries with toxic emissions. Sadly, such practices continue today as represented by Union Hill, Virginia which was the proposed site of massive fracked gas compressor station. Thank you, Glen Besa

Honored delegates, I hope that you will act to take the next steps in getting rid of the lingering effects of the Marshall-Newman amendment. As a Virginia citizen for more than 50 years, I'd like to see the Commonwealth take a full stand on equality with HJ 339, 557, and 582. Please do the right thing. Why do I care? I am in a 40-year committed lesbian relationship. We got married in Toronto in 2006, having given up hope of marrying legally here. I am grateful to AG Herring for having acted quickly to bring Virginia in line with the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015; what a thrilling day that was at Arlington County Courthouse! And I am grateful to the Assembly for the progress of 2020. In practical terms, the Marshall-Newman amendment makes no direct difference to my wife and me anymore. But it's still on the books. Why is that? That amendment was nothing but prejudice, pure and simple. In 40 years together, my wife and I have been active in our professional roles and in our community. We have supported each other in job losses, the decline and death of parents and family members, cancer, and now dementia. My wife could no longer live alone at this point, and she's not even 70; she'll probably be around another 15 or 20 years. How would that work without me? Without our legal marriage and the protections that it provides? Please stand up for equality and equity. It's the third decade of the 21st Century, and it's high time. Thank you for your public service. Sincerely, Diane Ullius Arlington

I have been a resident of Virginia since attending the University of Virginia beginning in 1973. I chose to remain in Virginia as a gay man because of my faith at that time that the essential conservative nature of the state would constrain state action to regulate my private life. I have been in a committed relationship with my now husband, a native Virginian, for the last 35 of those years. I stuck with Virginia through the radical changes in the treatment of my privacy by my adopted state. I have endured decades of vilification of my very existence from the Commonwealth, including the 2006 constitutional amendment. I have incurred considerable expense over many years to protect my rights and my property by actions that no married couple in the Commonwealth need do to protect their property and rights, only then to be told that even that would not protect me. No meaningful apology or remuneration has been forthcoming from the Commonwealth. It continues to be deeply hurtful to me that this hateful provision remains on the books even though made moot by the United States Supreme Court years ago and is no longer supported by a majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth according to many reliable polls. I want an apology for the unequal treatment I have endured for nearly 50 years while a tax paying citizen of the Commonwealth. The closest thing the Commonwealth can do to meaningfully atone for the wrong that it has done to my life is to remove these provisions from the Constitution which demean me and my marriage. If the Commonwealth is to renew its hateful treatment of my marriage in future, it needs to be made difficult by requiring a new Constitutional amendment and the deliberative due process that would be attendant to that. It is wholly unacceptable to me that the Commonwealth could potentially disrespect me again using this invalid Constitutional provision to threaten my financial security and my existence. I want the apology that I am due and I want the security I deserve. I cannot imagine that any citizen of this Commonwealth with self respect would want any less.

In support of Marriage equality. Please make it known and legal for all in Virginia. We are a married gay couple and want to remain legally married. Thanks, Jeff Wetter, Scott Sayre

This bill should be REJECTED. it is unconstitutional and subverts the right of states to have a voice in selecting the President, rather than letting the 3 biggest states and millions of illegal voters pick our President!

Horrible idea. Even though the Supreme Court got is wrong, laws banning homosexual marriage should remain on the books because like the other 34 states that voted, Virginia voters REJECTED homosexual marriage.

Do not give the homosexuals any rights that everyone enjoys. They are not special but are a detriment to society. Please do not give 16 year olds voting privileges. Voting is a God given right that the US Constitution gives to everyone 18 and older. We should not want to lower the standard just so the demorats can get more votes. Do not give black face hypocrite northam more power so he can keep the state bottled up like he has done since March. Open up the state instead of giving him more supposed power. Do not find a constitutional amendment for climate change. All you need to do is go to the mountains of WV and you will see the climate is just fine. Do not regulate guns in polling places. I have a concealed weapons permit but I rarely use it. For people who do, there may be a time when you would wish that someone had a CHP and taken out the bad guy who is assaulting you or worse. Do not

Sierra Club supports all five of these bills recognizing that if the committee moves to report, that the proposed constitutional amendments addressing 1) the right to same sex marriage and 2) the right of felons to have their political rights restored will move forward as two separate proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. Sierra Club supports the principle and right of people to marry who they love.  With that in mind we support the three bills to repeal the Virginia constitutional provision prohibiting marriage by persons of the same sex.   Sierra Club supports an inclusive democracy and urges passage of a constitutional amendment that restores to individuals who have completed their sentence of imprisonment or active supervision, their political rights, including the right to vote. 

On behalf of the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists, I wish to express opposition to HB539, HB557, HB582 on the principle that marriage is a religious institution which has been clearly identified as a union of a man and woman for thousands of years. While the will of the people may eventually remove this from our state constitution, it is my hope that this will in no way disenfranchise our churches which hold to a different view. Sincerely, Eddy Aliff Executive Director

The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports repealing the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman, and we support all marriages being treated equally under the law regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. The League also hopes the General Assembly will consider that the civil status of marriage is already clearly distinguished from the religious institution of marriage and that religious rights will be preserved without additional language. Thank you.

Stop trying to change the constitution and uphold what is already there. Stop trying to change gun laws that effect law abiding citizens. If you want to take guns away start with taking them from criminals. You know the gun laws you all create only hurts law abiding citizens. If you would enforce the laws you already have, you wouldn't need to make any more laws. Do your research people, the numbers don't lie. Less than 500 people a year are killed by all rifles. More people are killed by hands and feet than rifles. More people are killed by hammers, bats, and blunt objects. Do your research people. You need to wake up and think for yourself. The facts are there, stop ignoring them.

Since the founding of Virginia, self-made firearms have been legal, and this ban on 80% completed firearms frames would instantly make thousands of law-abiding citizens felons! For those who don't know, an 80% receiver is not considered a firearm under Federal Law, and it is legal to anyone who can own a firearm to purchase one of these receivers and finish it themselves. This is yet another effort by the anti-gun advocates to turn citizens into criminals. Not only that, but by eliminating the sale and possession of 80% receivers, completed or not, this is nothing but a full bore effort for complete and total firearm registration lists. Historically in America and other countries, gun registration lists lead to confiscation lists. Privacy is the number one reason people purchase 80% lower receiver kits. Because the kits are not functional weapons until further tooling, they do not have serial numbers, so they are not registered in any way. And like the 2nd Amendment clearly states, the right to bear arms shall not be infringed!

Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!

Please pass this. It’s the right thing to do.