Public Comments for 02/01/2021 Privileges and Elections - Constitutional Amendments
HJ514 - Constitutional amendment; special sessions, required certain states of emergency (first reference).
Honorable committee members, My name is Karen Whitlock, and I urge each of you to support either HJ513 or HJ514. One year ago nearly to date, the nation was informed that a novel virus from China had reached our shores. Since then, it has devastated our nation and state at so many levels and continues to challenge us. Sadly, the virus became politicized. These two proposed amendments arose because of the obvious need for more checks and balances on and accountability from the state's executive branch during such a crisis. The amendments do not favor one party over another, encourages input from citizens through their representatives, and provide enough time for the government to collect information, devise plans, and implement reasonable responses within a reasonable duration. I hope that you will see the value of these amendments and advance them so that, ultimately, the citizens of Virginia can feel confident during dire circumstances that their voices are heard and respected by their elected leaders.
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
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.
Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!
HJ515 - Constitutional amendment; right of parents (first reference).
Good morning Chairman Levine and members of the Privileges and Elections Subcommittee on constitutional Amendments, To clarify and expand on my testimony this morning, the proposed constitutional amendment by Delegate Cole is so broad that it serves to entirely strip young people of all autonomy, bodily or otherwise. The amendment is unnecessary and in possible conflict with well settled case law and statutory law that properly balances the recognition of parental authority with the recognized autonomy of a mature minor over their body and their capacity to consent to treatment. Virginia’s Judicial Bypass, parental consent and notification requirements are in fact also too restrictive and go beyond both constitutional precedent and common sense and evidence-based research. Forced parental involvement laws do not stop or decrease the rate of abortions by minors. According to a 2009 literature review by Guttmacher: “The clearest documented impact of parental involvement laws is an increase in the number of minors traveling outside their home states to obtain abortion services in states that do not mandate parental involvement or that have less restrictive laws.” Forcing minors to cross state lines where laws are less restrictive does not protect the best interest of the minor or protect the cohesion of the family unit. Instead, it delays access to health care and forces young people who likely have a network of support in their home to stay away from that support system. The Constitutional Amendment, as drafted, would not just prevent the government from intervening when a parent abuses their child and that abuse falls short of severe bodily harm or causing the death of a minor. This bill also entirely ignores the psychological/emotional harm to children. Abuse is not always physical. Emotional abuse can have consequences as dire and as long-lasting as physical beatings. This bill removes important guardrails and tools that the state can use to intervene when a young person is in an abusive situation. This bill strips young people of any rights to determining their destinies or bodily and emotional autonomy. It is so broad it may be interpreted to prevent: 1) judicial bypass in cases when a young person seeks abortion care; 2) a young person from having access to reproductive healthcare such as birth control; 3) prevent schools from having policies that empower LGBTQ youth; 4) the state from ensuring that kids are educated. It will give parents - all parents, whether good or bad, abusive or not, misguided or not - complete control over every aspect of their children’s lives and destinies, denying basic autonomy and humanity to children and youth. As I said in my oral testimony - children are NOT property. They are autonomous beings and deserve to be protected, sometimes even from their parents. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your consideration, Galina Varchena, Policy Director NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia galina@naralva.org
Amendment HJ 515 is of vital importance, as more than ever children are being easily led astray by social media, schools, and strangers from their parents. Parents, not strangers should have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education and medical care for their minor aged children. A story I know so well when my 14 yr old daughter was taken to a medical facility by a stranger. Unfortunately, she needed follow up care to repair the physical and emotional damages from the medical procedure, but she couldn't have the follow-up care unless I signed a consent form. To add insult to injury I was responsible for the followup financial costs amounting to $27,000. This is a common sense amendment to protect families and their minor aged children.
Parents needs to remain the primary decision maker in how their children are to be raised, be aware of what happens to their children and make medical decisions per the Constitution of the United States. We are the sole provider of our children and the best to understand our children’s medical history and have the right to determine how we raise our children base on our moral, ethical, and religious beliefs and this right need to be protected.
The Virginia Education Association is opposed to this bill. This would be an unnecessary amendment to our Constitution, and would potentially add additional layers of bureaucracy and documentation to our schools. Our educators work extremely hard and do not need any additional burden of documenting parents' decisions about curriculum and lessons.
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.
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.
Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!
HJ539 - Constitutional amendment; removes same-sex marriage prohibition.
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!
HJ546 - Constitutional amendment; felon disenfranchisement, etc. (first reference).
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.
HJ548 - Constitutional amendment; public schools, standards of quality.
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
Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!
Please change the wording and responsibility for Virginia in our constitution from “seek to” to “ensure” a high quality education. This would make it constitutionally mandated to provide a high quality education to all students, regardless of their zip code. Thanks, Josh Irby
Regarding HJ548 - Hurst, Constitutional amendment (first reference); education; public schools; standards of quality. -- Given the importance of constitutional mandates in this state and this country, this bill is critical to establish that a high-quality educational program and high quality, free, public elementary and secondary school system is an absolute right for our children, their families, and our communities. It's also critical that educators and other qualified members on the Board of Education for school divisions direct the standards of quality prescribed for our schools, not the General Assembly. I strongly urge the committee to support and report HJ548, and to support it when it comes to a vote! Regarding HJ551 - Rasoul, Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters;16-year-olds permitted to vote. As a community member and parent, this is a fantastic proposed constitutional amendment that I highly support! At age 16, no less than at age 18, young people in our communities are highly engaged, and highly knowledgeable about local circumstances, needs, and priorities. They deserve and should have the right to vote in our local elections - absolutely! I strongly urge the committee to support and report HJ551, and to support it when it comes to a vote.
I support HJ548 to restore the Board of Education's authority to establish the Standard of Quality. School curriculum should not be legislated. It is time that the Commonwealth of Virginia "ensures" a high quality free public education.
It SHOULD be the responsibility of the Commonwealth, rather than the General Assembly, to provide for a system of free public elementary and secondary schools and to ENSURE a high quality education, as stated in HJ548. The Board of Education SHOULD have full authority over the Standards of Quality prescribed for school divisions.
I am writing in support of the Constitutional Amendment to “Ensure” a High Quality Education so that the Commonwealth will actually be mandated to provide a high quality education to all students, regardless of their zip code.
HJ551 - Constitutional amendment; qualification of voters, 16-year-olds permitted to vote (first reference).
I do not support any measures proposed to change the Constitution of Virginia in regards to the Electoral College or the age of eligibility of voting.
The patron of this needs to resign. What is he thinking? 16 year olds are thinking about dating and cars and proms and enjoying life. They have no experience to make informed decisions. I am going to post this on facebook and hope that others let you know their feelings as well. This is not worth the paper it was written on.
I do not support this Bill to enter into any type of "compact" with other States regarding our electors. Virginia's 13 Electors are Virginia's and not any other States. Virginia should not "give away" our electors to any other State and/or Compact of States over the popular election. Our forefathers set - up the Electoral College to ensure all STATES have a voice; each State / Commonwealth have their Electors and they sign a pledge after the vote is Certified. Our votes should count; our state should not be ignored; our Electors should be independent of any outside influence and carry out their duties and pledges after the Election and which ever Candidate "wins" our Commonwealth and our Vote. Voting is Sacred; Voting is a Right given to us at the Cost of so many - who protect our Freedom/s. Please Vote NO; I do not support this legislation; Do the Right Thing; Keep our Electors Free from any type of Compact of State/s - Influence. I have resided in the Commonwealth of Virginia my entire life; I want candidates to visit our state; campaign in our state and EARN our VOTES as well as our Trust. This Bill should NOT be passed and should be removed from consideration; I humbly submit.
I'm not sure why there is a "push" to pre-register 16 years old to Vote in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am the father of (3) Children; all whom attended Fairfax County Public Schools. At the age of 16, they were more interested in mastering the "art" of driving; spending time with friends; being involved in athletics; church - youth groups; "hanging out with their friends and classmates; and just being a "kid." They have their entire adult life to VOTE. At the age of 18, they become an adult; why are we asking for our children (teens) to make adult decisions at 16 and become part of the divisiveness that we are experiencing regarding politics. The right to vote is sacred; I have been voting since I was 18 years old myself. Over the years, I have taken my children to our polling place to allow them to watch me vote and exercise this duty as a citizen. I just don't believe we need to amend our laws in 2021 to allow the pre-registration of 16 year old teens that should be focused on "other things in life" than politics. Why not focus on our education; college visits; trade school visits and explore who they want to be and "what they want to be..." I do not support this bill and I hope other Virginians don't as well. I hope the General Assembly does the "right thing" and allows are 16 and 17 years olds to enjoy their Teens.
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.
Strongly support. This is common sense.
Strongly oppose.
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.
I oppose HJ551!!! A 16 year old has no business voting! If you are not old enough to buy alcohol or tobacco products, you are not old enough to vote! This is the most ridiculous bill ever! I work with 16 year olds everyday in the public school setting and they are not at a maturity level nor have they even studied Government to understand how the three branches of our government work. Absolutely NO to 16 year olds voting!!! Remeber we the people of VA elected YOU to represent us and not your own personal agenda!!!!!
I am against this amendment. 16 year olds who are not legally adults should not be allowed to vote because they have not yet had time to mature into adults and weigh in on the issues facing voters appropriately. As a parent of 3 children, having watched the maturation process of them and their friends, they really didn't understand the full responsibilities of adulthood and the consequences of their votes until they were out of the house and on their own, which was well into their twenties. If they're not mature enough to drink or join the military, they're not old enough to vote.
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!
HB1933. A ridiculous idea. DONOT DISENFRANCHISE my VOTE and ALL Virginia citizens' votes. I OPPOSE! HB1869, HB1872, HB 1888. NO "voting by mail" other than a citizen's request from his or her county/city where one is legally registered to VOTE. HB2125, HJ551. Another ridiculous idea...NO to 16 year old voting, they are CHILDREN. 18 years old is bad enough in a vast majority of cases.
The electoral college was put in place because it works. Do NOT get rid of the electoral college. 16 year olds should not be voting. The voting age must remain at age 18.
There needs to be better ID for voters including picture ID and proof of citizenship. Allowing 16 year old youngsters to vote is not a wise decision. This age group can be manipulated, and most have no real understanding of the voting process, the issues, or the candidates running for office. They will simply be parroting what their parents believe. I don’t think popular vote is a good idea. It opens up more illegal voting opportunities, especially where illegals are involved. Thank you for this opportunity to speak.
Absolutely not. A 16 year old should not even be behind the wheel of a car. They cannot purchase cigarettes until they're 18. Cannot purchase alcohol until they're 21. Cannot own a weapon until they're at least 18. Xannot join the military until they're 18 without written consent from a parent. Cannit be tried as an adult until 18. But you want to let them vote at 16? Are you serious. They cannot even figure out what gender they are anymore. This is just another ploy by the left to garner more votes from a generation that is taught what to think by liberal teachers. Hence men competing against women in women's sports. Men using women's bathrooms because they're mentally unstable and think they are women. I will file lawsuit after lawsuit against this asinine party.
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!
Regarding HJ548 - Hurst, Constitutional amendment (first reference); education; public schools; standards of quality. -- Given the importance of constitutional mandates in this state and this country, this bill is critical to establish that a high-quality educational program and high quality, free, public elementary and secondary school system is an absolute right for our children, their families, and our communities. It's also critical that educators and other qualified members on the Board of Education for school divisions direct the standards of quality prescribed for our schools, not the General Assembly. I strongly urge the committee to support and report HJ548, and to support it when it comes to a vote! Regarding HJ551 - Rasoul, Constitutional amendment (first reference); qualifications of voters;16-year-olds permitted to vote. As a community member and parent, this is a fantastic proposed constitutional amendment that I highly support! At age 16, no less than at age 18, young people in our communities are highly engaged, and highly knowledgeable about local circumstances, needs, and priorities. They deserve and should have the right to vote in our local elections - absolutely! I strongly urge the committee to support and report HJ551, and to support it when it comes to a vote.
HJ555 - Constitutional amendment; felon disenfranchisement, etc. (first reference).
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!
HJ556 - Constitutional amendment; environmental justice (first reference).
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
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.
Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!
HJ557 - Constitutional amendment; marriage (first reference).
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!
HJ582 - Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to marry, removes same-sex marriage prohibition.
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.
HJ614 - Constitutional amendment; real property tax exemption for surviving spouses.
As a representative of the Fleet Reserve Association to the Joint Leadership Council consisting of 25 Veteran Service Organizations representing 250,000 Veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia - we support this Bill. OBJECTIVE: To reform the Virginia state law, Tax Relief for Surviving Spouse of a Member of the Armed Forces to include both “Killed in Action” and “died while serving or from a service connected injury or illness.” BACKGROUND: On March 23, 2015, legislation was approved by the Virginia General Assembly providing for an exemption of real estate taxes for the surviving spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who was Killed in Action as determined by the United States Department of Defense. The Commonwealth of Virginia also exempts from taxation the real property, including the joint real property of husband and wife, of any veteran who has been rated by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor agency pursuant to federal law to have a 100% service connected permanent and total disability, and who occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence. DISCUSSION: Approximately 1% of the American population serves in our Armed Forces. According to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S.) there are 700 Survivors of Service Members who died on active duty in the Commonwealth. Virginia Code states a surviving spouse is eligible for exemption of real estate taxes if the spouse is “Killed In Action” verified by Department of Defense. There are no differences in Benefits for a military member who are killed in action verses a military member who dies on active duty. If a service member is “Killed in action” and his/her spouse is eligible for the exemption of real estate tax and lives next to another service member’s spouse and he/she has died on active duty, currently the spouse of the military member who dies on active duty would not be eligible for the exemption. Disabled Veterans who are 100% Permanent and Total rating by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are eligible for the tax exemption. If this Veteran dies of a service connected disability his/her spouse will continue the entitlement. RECOMMENTATION: That the Governor and General Assembly amend the Code of Virginia to provide a real estate property tax exemption to both the surviving spouses of service members who were “Killed in Action” and those who “died while serving or from a service connected injury or illness.”
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.
HJ616 - Constitutional amendment; real property tax exemption for affordable housing.
I am writing in favor of HJ616, Delegate Bourne's bill. Affordable housing is in dire short supply throughout the Commonwealth. Tax abatements are a proven method for facilitating the development of more affordable housing. I strongly urge the committee to pass this bill and begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow local tax incentives--which are currently not allowed.
Community Housing Partners (CHP), a Virginia-based nonprofit which provides affordable and sustainable housing throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, supports HJ616. This bill will begin the process of amending the Virginia Constitution to allow the General Assembly to craft impactful local initiatives to increase the housing supply for individuals and families across the income spectrum. In many Virginia localities, teachers, police, fire fighters, and service workers are unable to live where they work. While these localities have tools to create incentives for the rehabilitation of existing buildings, they often have limited options to create incentivize new construction of workforce housing. HJ616 will expand the ability of localities to create partial tax exemption ordinances to include new construction affordable housing, not just renovation or rehabilitation. CHP supports this bill as a way to promote nonprofit and private sector investment in communities across Virginia and to provide a much-needed boost to the housing supply for low-income Virginians.
RE: Support of HJ616 Chair Levine, The Loudoun Chamber, which collectively represents over 1,000 member businesses and tens of thousands of employees across Loudoun County and the region would like to express our organization’s support of Delegate Bourne’s Constitutional Amendment, HJ616. This Constitutional amendment, which provides the authority of a locality to fully or partially exempt affordable housing from local real property taxation, will create equity for those seeking to create housing affordability in Virginia. Currently, exception of affordable housing real property taxes is preferred when allocating Low-Income Housing Credits in the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, due to legal interpretations of the Dillon Rule, not every County provides the exemption. Passage of this Constitutional amendment will provide equal access to Low-Income Housing Tax Credits across the Commonwealth and create more equity among those seeking to provide affordable housing solutions for our citizens. For these reasons, the Loudoun Chamber respectfully requests that the Committee vote in favor of HJ616. Thank you for considering the perspective of our organization on this issue of significant concern to the community we serve. Grafton deButts Vice President of Membership & Government Affairs Loudoun Chamber
HJ513 - Constitutional amendment; executive power, state of emergency, special session (first reference).
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.
Honorable committee members, My name is Karen Whitlock, and I urge each of you to support either HJ513 or HJ514. One year ago nearly to date, the nation was informed that a novel virus from China had reached our shores. Since then, it has devastated our nation and state at so many levels and continues to challenge us. Sadly, the virus became politicized. These two proposed amendments arose because of the obvious need for more checks and balances on and accountability from the state's executive branch during such a crisis. The amendments do not favor one party over another, encourages input from citizens through their representatives, and provide enough time for the government to collect information, devise plans, and implement reasonable responses within a reasonable duration. I hope that you will see the value of these amendments and advance them so that, ultimately, the citizens of Virginia can feel confident during dire circumstances that their voices are heard and respected by their elected leaders.
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
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.
Insure you sign COS and stop with politics!