Richmond, Virginia—Today in the House of Delegates, Delegate Marcus Simon introduced a resolution, HR323, to change to the House rules that would allow members to 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. Because House Republicans have […]
Press Releases
Press Release
Republicans Reject Bills That Would Save Lives
Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Public Safety Subcommittee #1 recommended rejecting several bills today that would save lives due to gun violence. SB1382, sponsored by Senator Creigh Deeds, would have banned assault rifles, a weapon that is commonly used in mass shootings. SB1139, sponsored by Senator Jennifer Boysko, would simply require that people who have guns in […]
Press Release
Republicans Left Bills Without Hearings Because They Don’t Want Constituents To Know Where They Stand
Richmond, Virginia—Now that Crossover has passed, it’s time to talk about all the bills Republicans in the House of Delegates didn’t even bother to consider. These bills were brought by members of their own party that they failed to docket because they don’t want there to be a voting record for some of these issues. […]
Press Release
Republicans Say No Abortion, and No Contraception Too
Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Commerce and Energy Subcommittee #4 voted last night to reject HB2089, better known as the Contraceptive Equity Act. The bill would have made it easier for everyone who needs it to access birth control by requiring insurance companies to cover birth control without cost sharing. This is already federal law, […]
Press Release
Senate Committee Passes Marriage Equality Constitutional Amendment
Richmond, Virginia—A group of Senators who sit on the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted this afternoon to pass SJ242, sponsored by Senator Adam Ebbin. This constitutional amendment would repeal the referendum that was passed in 2006 limiting marriage to one man and one woman. It’s high time we corrected that bigoted mistake, and we’re thrilled […]
Press Release
Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act Passes Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
Richmond, Virginia—Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor passed SB1321, also known as the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act this afternoon. The bill, sponsored by Senator Jennifer McClellan, would help ensure that utility monopolies are not making too much profit at the expense of hardworking families in our community, and that’s something we can […]
Press Release
Republicans Reject Constitutional Amendment Guaranteeing Right to Reproductive Freedom
Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Courts of Justice Subcommittee #1 rejected Delegate Charniele Herring’s HJ519, a constitutional amendment that would have guaranteed a fundamental right to reproductive freedom in Virginia. It’s disappointing but not surprising that these largely white, Republican men would reject the amendment, but we will keep working to ensure that everyone can […]
Press Release
Progress Virginia Statement on the Murder of Tyre Nichols by Police
Memphis, Tennessee—We are appalled and devastated by the murder of Tyre Nichols by police. Tyre was a beautiful soul who enjoyed skateboarding and photography. His life was unfairly cut short when police brutally and violently murdered him for no reason. His life mattered, and he deserved so much more than becoming the next hashtag in […]
Press Release
Republicans Vote to Lower Minimum Wage for Workers Under 18
Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Commerce and Energy Subcommittee #1 voted today to pass HB1669, a bill that would lower the minimum wage to $9 an hour for any worker who is under the age of 18 years old. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Danny Marshall, unfairly discriminates against youth workers, and it is […]
Press Release
Members of Senate Subcommittee Pass Right To Vote Amendment
Richmond, Virginia—Returning citizens and their families are excited to see that Democratic members of the Senate Privileges and Elections Subcommittee #1 passed Senator Mamie Locke’s SJ223, which would grant all returning citizens the right to vote after completion of their sentence. This is the first step towards restoring civil rights for people who have been […]