The 2019 elections swung both the Senate and House from majority
Republican to majority Democrat. With the switch in power came a seismic shift
in leadership priorities and a rush by the new majority to enact sweeping
changes that Gov. Ralph Northam was eager to sign. In just two months, nearly 1,300
bills passed, some drastically altering or even erasing decades of state
policy. For the Virginia Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the Virginia bishops, this session was far different
than any other in its 15-year history. The sheer number and striking severity
of threats, especially to life and religious liberty, created a triage-like
environment for VCC advocacy this year.
What passed?
— Abortion expansion
legislation that dismantles decades of pro-life protections. It eliminates
health and safety regulations for abortion facilities, allows non-doctors to
perform first-trimester abortions and removes nearly all requirements of
informed consent before an abortion. Gov. Northam announced his signature in a
press release issued on Good Friday.
— Reversal of the Hyde
Amendment restrictions against abortion funding that VCC advocacy had helped
secure just one year ago.
Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, even though its
language has already been used to challenge and overturn pro-life laws in other
states.
— Legislation adding
“sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected categories in many
areas of state law. VCC efforts to amend the legislation to ensure religious
liberty protections for religious employers, churches, schools and other
ministries to practice their beliefs — including the beliefs that God created
each person male or female and established marriage as the union of a man and a
woman — were thwarted at every turn. VCC
involvement was, however, instrumental in ensuring these new provisions do not
change existing law on state contracts and thus do not impact partnerships
between Catholic Charities and the commonwealth to provide refugee resettlement
and other services.
— Legislation requiring
health benefit plans to cover gender transition treatments and surgery. VCC
efforts to add an exemption for religious employers whose beliefs do not permit
this coverage were defeated.
— Legislation requiring
background checks for firearm purchases.
— Legislation ensuring
that crime victims and witnesses are not asked their immigration status when
they report crimes.
— Legislation protecting
borrowers from predatory lending practices.
What did not pass?
— Bills to legalize
assisted suicide, to repeal the law that protects the religious liberty of
faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies, and to repeal the Education
Improvements Scholarships Tax Credits program. Proactive advocacy by the VCC
and partnering organizations was key in keeping each of these three bills from
receiving committee votes this year. In each case, however, the legislation is
likely to resurface, requiring vigilance and intensified efforts by the VCC and
its advocacy partners.
— Legislation to exempt
from the death penalty those who had a severe mental illness at the time of the
crime. The bill passed the Senate in a strong bipartisan vote but then stalled
in a House subcommittee. — Bills to abolish the death penalty also failed to
advance, but there were positive indications that movement could occur next
year.
— Legislation that would
have required parental consent for a child to participate in a public school Family
Life Education program.
How did your legislators vote?
View the full VCC vote report, go here.
