A Crossover Win!
We are at crossover, the time when bills passed by one chamber of the General Assembly go to the other chamber for consideration. Maybe the biggest news on crossover was that HB 858, patroned by Delegate Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), which would have legalized physician assisted suicide was “passed by for the day” on the last day to vote on House bills, which essentially defeated the bill for the year. More importantly, this means there is enough Democrat and Republican opposition to the measure that could lead to the same outcome for the Senate version (SB 280) when it is heard by the House.
At the outset of session, we predicted the issues impacting family values that would dominate the 2024 General Assembly Session would be abortion, redefining marriage, marijuana commercialization, physician assisted suicide and possibly gambling, and so far, that’s been true.
There have been some small victories in this first half of the session, but the fight to protect our families and vulnerable lives from bad policies will continue until the very last vote. Below are some updates on what happened during the first half of the session, and what to expect in the second half.
Life
Our major concern that the Democrat majority would initiate the process of amending the state constitution to enshrine unlimited abortion was temporarily relieved as both the House and Senate voted to continue the resolutions to 2025. While that means it doesn't pass this year, it does mean we will have to prepare for a very contentious debate next year.
Of course, this didn't stop pro-abortion Democrats in the House and Senate from approving a handful of "shield laws" – bills that aim to protect abortionists in Virginia who perform abortions, or issue abortion pills to mothers, in other states where such abortions are criminal offenses. They also approved bills to expand access to drugs that end the life of the pre-born baby under the auspices of access to contraception, and without any religious or conscience protections.
Another major afront to the respect and dignity of life is HB 110 (D-Sullivan), which would initiate a commercial marketplace for surrogacy in Virginia, creating major incentives to exploit vulnerable women by monetizing the demand for “rent-a-wombs.” HB 110 passed the House and now moves to the Senate.
Parental Rights, Girls Sports and School Choice
For the second year in a row, Democrat-led committees defeated “Sage’s Law,” HB 670 (R-Freitas) and SB 37 (R-McGuire), a bill to require schools to communicate with parents if their child begins to identify at school as being the opposite biological sex. During testimony, the VEA - the union arm for public school teachers - elevated the bonds students have with teachers above the natural bond that children have with their parents. The Democrat-led committees also defeated bills that would have protected the safety and privacy of female athletes by disallowing males from competing on girls’ sports teams.
And unfortunately, all bills that sought to expand education freedom in Virginia either through education savings accounts or family home education tax credits were stopped by Democrats in committee, preventing students from being able to use state per-pupil funding to access a school that best meets their education needs.
For the rest of the session we will be working to defeat HB 571 (D-Delaney) and SB 235 (D-Hashmi), bills that will virtually prevent school boards from keeping pornographic materials out of school libraries.
More Vices – Neighborhood Slot Machines and Marijuana Commercialization
Gambling is still a major issue this year, as legislation -- SB 212 (D-Rouse) and HB 590 (D-Hayes) -- that would allow thousands of so-called “games of skill” (i.e. neighborhood slot machines) in convenience stores, restaurants, truck stops, and other establishments, where families visit daily, with virtually no oversight, has made it through the House and Senate. We are thrilled to see legislation has been approved by the House and Senate to remove Richmond from the list of approved casino sites. However, SB 268 (D-Aird), which would replace Richmond with Petersburg as a casino site, has passed the Senate and will be considered by the House.
SB 448 (D-Rouse) and HB 698 (D-Krizek) seek to commercialize high potency THC products, including recreational marijuana, on every street corner, which will have serious consequences on our community and lead countless youth down the dangerous path of drug abuse. Both versions which have passed the House and Senate are likely headed to a special conference committee, before it reaches the Governor’s desk for what we hope will be a veto.
For those legislators who think either neighborhood slot machines and/or marijuana commercialization will revitalize communities and keep people safe form the illicit drug market, they are sadly mistaken. Allowing neighborhood slot machines into thousands of convenience stores and truck stops across the state and putting a “pot shop” on every corner in a community, will only lead more crime, more addictions, and more harm to families.
Final Half of Session
We have seen many good bills that help children, families, and protect the sanctity of life fail, while many bills that create more vices for communities, threaten unborn life, and seek to violate the innocence of young children are marching forward. Our policy team will continue to track these bills and give informative testimony on these bills, as well as inspect the 2024-2026 biennium budget as soon as it is released. We are also communicating with the Governor about the danger of these bills and the importance of his veto pen.
Please continue to pray for our policy as they work hard to finish strong this session.
