Richmond, Virginia—Today, we moved closer to pay equity and racial justice when the Virginia Senate voted to remove the exemptions that excluded farmworkers from earning the minimum wage. HB157, sponsored by Delegate Adele McClure, narrowly passed the Senate by a vote of 20-19 and will move to the Governor’s desk for a signature. The exemption […]
Press Releases
Press Release
Crossover Day: Status of the Progressive Agenda
Richmond, Virginia—February 13 is Crossover Day in the General Assembly. Here’s a recap of the status of several crucial bills, broken down by issue area and current posture. “Our community has been very clear: we demand a safer, more progressive Commonwealth where everyone’s rights are protected, and working families have what they need to grow […]
Press Release
Right to Contraception Passes the House
Richmond, Virginia—Everybody deserves the right to decide if and when they would like to have children, and today, the House has passed a bill to help protect that right. The Right To Contraception Act (SB 273), sponsored by Senator Ghazala Hashmi, passed the House on a vote of 53-44 today. Several states, including Virginia, are […]
Press Release
Anti-Voter Bills Voted Down in Senate Committee
Richmond, Virginia—Voters should feel more secure today knowing that Republican attempts to restrict voting rights were voted down in the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. Several bills to do everything, from limiting the absentee voting period to requiring photo identification to vote and making it more difficult to register to vote on Election Day, were […]
Press Release
Voters Reject Restrictions on Abortion, Overwhelmingly Support Democrats to Hold the Senate and Take Back the House of Delegates
Virginia—Sending a clear message, voters stood up yesterday to protect our fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including abortion access, without interference from politicians. People in our community showed up despite the obstacles to voter rights perpetrated by Governor Glenn Youngkin and his Republican allies in the General Assembly. Thanks to Democrats, Virginia moved from 49th to […]
Press Release
Governor Youngkin Has No Right to Override Legislature and Remove Grant Opportunity to Expand Teacher Diversity
Richmond, Virginia—Republicans and Democrats alike came together to create a grant opportunity for teachers of color that would lower the financial burdens teachers with provisional licenses face when getting their full teaching licenses. But without any public notice or justification, Governor Glenn Youngkin has taken the application off of the VDOE’s website and stopped distributing […]
Press Release
Progress Virginia’s Endorsed Candidates Win Primary Elections
Virginia—Lashrecse Aird and Rae Cousins, the two candidates Progress Virginia endorsed in the primary elections this year, have both won their races. These women are unafraid to stand up for progressive values, including abortion access, fully funding our public schools, fighting climate change, and much more, and the community saw that and rallied behind them. […]
Press Release
Alexandria City Council Unanimously Approves Abortion Clinics By Right
Alexandria, Virginia—This morning, members of the Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a zoning text amendment to allow abortion clinics in Alexandria by right, meaning they don’t have to get any special approvals to be built. This zoning change eliminates barriers to abortion access in Alexandria and is an important step towards ensuring everyone in Alexandria […]
Press Release
Governor Youngkin Must Reverse Course on Restoration of Voting Rights
Richmond, Virginia—Democratic lawmakers met today with Governor Glenn Youngkin to discuss his sudden decision to exacerbate the process of restoring rights for people who have served prison sentences and returned to their communities. This change has ended a decade of bipartisan support for the restoration of rights, and lawmakers want answers. “Governor Youngkin has some […]
Press Release
Advocates for Abortion Access Demand Vote on Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment
Richmond, Virginia—Today, dozens of abortion access supporters gathered at the Capitol to demand that members of the House of Delegates take an up-or-down vote on SJ255, a constitutional amendment that would establish a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including abortion access, without interference from the government. Shortly after the rally, members of the House of Delegates […]