November 13, 2024
Contact: Debra Freeman, [email protected], 757-452-1143
New Virginia Majority Applauds Voting and Marriage Rights Bills Advancing
Today New Virginia Majority applauds the House Privileges and Elections Committee for passing constitutional amendments HJ2 and HJ9 out of committee, moving both bills on to the legislature for a vote.
The right to vote and to choose our leaders is a fundamental foundation of this country, and NVM has advocated for citizens returning from prison to have their voting rights automatically reinstated for nearly two decades.
We have helped restore and register over 30,000 returning citizens throughout Virginia. While they come from all walks of life, the majority of them are people of color, particularly Black men, who are overrepresented in all stages of our criminal legal system.
“It is clear that Virginia's felony disenfranchisement laws are an extension of Virginia's Jim Crow era, and the right to vote is key to fight against racial inequity, and HJ2 is a critical step to enshrining this essential right in our constitution,” said Tram Nguyen, co-executive director.
The committee also passed HJ9 out of committee, a bill that will repeal same-sex marriage prohibition and enshrine the right to marry anyone regardless of sex, gender, or race, bringing it one step closer to make sure marriage rights for all Virginians is instilled in our constitution.
It's long past time for Virginia to amend its constitution to establish the right to vote and to marry who we love for all its citizens, and we look forward to working with legislators to see both bills become law.
###
New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color, in immigrant communities, among LGBTQ people, women, youth, and progressives across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic and environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @NewVAMajority