Pre-Session Preview Part 2: Life and Liberty

Our Vision for Virginia purposefully starts out with emphasizing the sanctity of life beginning with life in the mother’s womb until natural death, religious freedom, and individual liberty.  These essential principles form the foundation upon which our society rests, and the government exists to protect them. 

In this second part of a three-part Pre-Session email series, we highlight some potential legislative proposals intended to restore critical provisions that protect the pre-born and their mothers, and uphold constitutionally protected religious liberty and individual freedom. 

Restoring protections for mothers and their pre-born babies

Among the many bad policies passed in 2020 at the hands of a liberal majority, none were more devastating than two bills rolling back over 40 years of pro-life achievements.  Now, actual physicians are no longer required in order to perform an abortion.  Mothers could be forced into making hasty decisions by removing most of the provisions of informed consent, which included being given the chance to view an ultrasound, and a 24 hour waiting period.  And abortion centers no longer have to follow health and safety regulations or be subject to oversight, which is necessary for accountability.

This year, pro-life groups will attempt to restore these important laws that have protected preborn babies and their mothers for decades.  While there will be stiff challenges - particularly in the Senate - we hope to find key allies along the way who will help us shepherd these critical life-saving policies through the legislative process.

Some pro-life legislators, having been inspired by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a current Supreme Court case challenging Mississippi’s law that bans abortion after 15 weeks and has the potential to overturn Roe, will likely introduce similar bills that ban abortion after the point of gestation in which a baby can feel pain in the womb. 

Defending the rights of faith-based institutions to operate according to their core faith tenets

Another devastating outcome of the 2020 session was passage of SB 868 (D-Ebbin), which established for the first time in our laws, and elevated to a specially favored status, the subjective and fluid concepts of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” (SOGI).  This law targets people of faith, including churches, religious schools, and nonprofit ministries by making them “places of public accommodation” and dictating their operational and employment decisions that impact fundamental tenets of their faith.  It also incentivizes private lawsuits and state-initiated investigations, as well as civil actions against faith-based entities.

During the legislative process, LGBTQ activists killed modest amendments that offered meaningful protections for religious groups, making it abundantly clear that the primary purpose of their main SOGI bill was to punish religious institutions.

This year, we intend to keep fighting to make reasonable amendments to ensure that religious groups, including churches and schools, can operate in accordance with their core faith tenets in the areas of sexual conduct and identity.

Protect the rights of individuals to make medical decisions for themselves and their families

Finally, the COVID vaccination requirements have threatened another area of individual freedom - the ability to make medical decisions free from government coercion.  This session there will be legislation to prevent Virginians from being forced to receive a vaccine for COVID-19 against their deeply held religious or personal convictions, and to be free from medical mandates in general.  Never should the government be able to force individuals to accept some form of medical treatment that would violate their personal convictions – especially when they are perfectly healthy!.

Life and liberty are fundamental and “unalienable” rights, and no person should be deprived of those rights without due process of law – something that has been severely lacking in recent.  This session we intend to fight hard to protect these fundamental rights!