Administration of government; rights of state and local employees; freedoms of conscience and expression. HB 384 (Davis) Protects state and local government employees from being required to take actions incompatible with their deeply held beliefs, values, or conscience or from being penalized for expressing opinions in opposition to or approval of official government policy. EV OPPOSES

HB 384 Status:

HOUSE: Passage (72-Y 27-N 1-A)
SENATE: Passed Senate (26-Y 14-N)

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. – SB 557 (Ebbin) Companion Bill: HB 605 (Sickles) Provides for a referendum at the November 8, 2022, election to approve or reject an amendment that would repeal the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between a man and woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. EV SUPPORTS

SB 557 Status:

SENATE: Passed Senate (25-Y 14-N)
HOUSE: Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (6-Y 4-N)

Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. – HJ 57 (Sickles) Companion Bill SJ 5 (Ebbin) Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. EV SUPPORTS

HJ 57 Status: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (4-Y 6-N)

HB 605 (Sickles) Companion Bill: SB 557 (Ebbin) A Bill to provide for the submission to the voters of a proposed amendment to Section 15-A of Article I of the Constitution of Virginia, relating to marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. EV SUPPORTS

HB 605 Status: Subcommittee recommends passing by indefinitely (6-Y 4-N)

Constitutional amendment (second reference); marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. – SJ 5 (Ebbin) Companion Bill: HJ 57 (Sickles) Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. EV SUPPORTS

SJ 5 Status:

SENATE: Agreed to by Senate (25-Y 14-N)
HOUSE: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (4-Y 6-N)