american life league

Save Virginia!

In November, Virginia’s voters will face two proposed constitutional amendments attacking the sanctity of human life and marriage.

ABORTION AMENDMENT

Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment

This proposal would establish a constitutional right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes abortion and contraception, allowing abortions to be committed in the third trimester.

Virginia’s Current Abortion Law:

Virginia allows abortions up through 26 weeks, 6 days with exceptions for life of the mother or for her physical or mental health in the third trimester. If the mother is under 18, she can obtain a judicial bypass if the parent or guardian does not sign permission for the abortion.

Official Ballot Language

QUESTION: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; (ii) protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and (iii) allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?

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Proposed Changes to the Virginia Constitution

The following text would be added to Article I of the Virginia Constitution.

Section 11-A. Fundamental right to reproductive freedom.

That every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.

An individual’s right to reproductive freedom shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.

Notwithstanding the above, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.

The Commonwealth shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.

The Commonwealth shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against an individual based on such individual’s own exercise of this fundamental right or such individual’s own actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. The Commonwealth shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against any individual for aiding or assisting another individual in exercising such other individual’s right to reproductive freedom with such other individual’s voluntary consent.

For the purposes of this section, a state interest is compelling only if it is for the limited purpose of maintaining or improving the health of an individual seeking care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of care and evidence-based medicine, and does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision making.

This section shall be self-executing. Any provision of this section held invalid shall be severable from the remaining portions of the section.

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The Ballot Language is Deliberately Misleading LEARN HOW

The proposed abortion amendment:

Does not specify who the word “individual” includes when making the “decision” to have an abortion. The amendment begins with the statement that “every individual” has a right to reproductive decisions. It is unclear whether this includes minors.
Intentionally lists as positive the fact that women can and should make their own decisions regarding prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care, but it then mentions abortion, calling it “care” in an effort to make it sound less heinous.
Seems to imply that a pregnant woman’s ability to make her own decisions regarding prenatal, childbirth, postpartum, and miscarriage care is not already protected by the law in Virginia.
Allows abortion in the third trimester (28 weeks gestation up through birth) but grants Virginia permission to limit third trimester abortions.
Does not mention what happens to children if they are born alive during a failed abortion attempt.
States that Virginia “shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against any individual for aiding or assisting another individual in exercising such other individual’s right to reproductive freedom with such other individual’s voluntary consent.” This could legally protect traffickers and others who coerce a woman into aborting her preborn child.
Demeans women and confuses Virginians by calling women “pregnant individual[s],” as only women can become pregnant.

Take a closer look at the ABORTION AMENDMENT

MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment

This proposal would remove the constitutional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman and redefine marriage as lawful between two adult persons regardless of “sex and gender.”

Virginia’s Current Marriage Law:

“Same-sex” marriage is currently legal in Virginia. However, this amendment would redefine marriage in Virginia’s constitution as no longer just between one man and one woman and would define it as the legal union of two consenting adult persons.

Official Ballot Language

QUESTION: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to (i) remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?

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Proposed Changes to the Virginia Constitution

The ballot measure would amend Section 15-A of Article I of the Virginia Constitution. The following underlined language would be added and struck-through language would be deleted:

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions marriage is one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage deny the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.

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The Ballot Language is Deliberately Misleading LEARN HOW

The proposed marriage amendment:

Does not mention that “same-sex” marriages are already permitted in the eyes of the law within Virginia.
Wrongly states that marriage is a right and is necessary for personal happiness. Marriage is a blessing, a sacrament, and privilege that helps build a foundation of stability for society and provides for the gift of children.
Does not specify whether businesses, schools, or organizations within the commonwealth are entitled to refuse services for “same-sex” weddings based on religious beliefs.

Take a closer look at the MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

Let’s look more closely at the ABORTION AMENDMENT

This proposal would:

Establish abortion and contraception as “reproductive rights” in Virginia’s constitution. This would enshrine preborn child killing as law of the land.
Allow abortion on demand through the third trimester, which could lead to the additional evils of partial-birth abortion and infanticide.
Allow lawmakers to regulate abortion in the third trimester without prohibiting abortion based on fetal abnormalities and the life or physical and mental health of the mother. This devalues babies with disabilities and implies that they lack value because of their disability. Every human life matters, and every person must be protected.
Prevent the penalization of those helping a woman obtain or coercing a woman into having an abortion. This normalizes human traffickers’ evil intentions to cover up their actions that victimize the woman and the preborn child.

Good citizens have a moral obligation to defend the innocent.

Do NOT allow the evil of abortion to define the great commonwealth of Virginia.

Vote NO on the abortion amendment!

Christians have even more reasons to vote NO on the Virginia ‘Right to Reproductive Freedom’ Amendment

A human being’s life begins the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg. This is now a unique and unrepeatable person. Scripture tells us that “God created mankind in His image; in the image of God, He created them” (Genesis 1:27). God acknowledged the humanity of the prophet Jeremiah in the womb when He said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). King David affirms the humanity of the baby in the womb when he said, “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).
Abortion is the intentional killing of a human being before he or she is born. God gave us the Ten Commandments to live by, and the Fifth Commandment clearly says, “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is never morally licit.
Neither rape nor incest justifies the taking of an innocent human being’s life. Rape and incest are great evils, but the new person created by these actions is completely innocent and should not be punished by death for the sins of his/her father.
Doctors never need to intentionally kill the baby to save the mother’s life; therefore the “life of the mother” argument is invalid. The doctor should seek to save both lives, but if the baby dies as a natural result of medical intervention, this is not the same thing as intentionally killing the child to “save” the mother’s life.
The Catholic Church teaches that any formal cooperation in abortion constitutes a grave sin. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human beings (CCC 2272).

All Christians have a moral obligation to defend the innocent.

Do NOT allow the evil of abortion to define the great commonwealth of Virginia.

Catholics must vote NO on the abortion amendment!

Let’s look more closely at the MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

This proposal would:

Repeal Virginia’s current language that says that marriage is between one man and one woman. Virginia’s lawmakers are attempting to redefine God’s design for marriage.
Redefine marriage as lawful between “two adult persons” regardless of “sex and gender.” This redefinition not only applies to same-sex couples but also recognizes marriage as legal between those who claim to be transgender.
Permit religious organizations and clergy to refuse to perform these weddings. However, it does not say anything about permitting businesses to refuse to provide services to these weddings based on religious beliefs. This lack of clarification could force Christian schools and businesses to face legal action if they do not recognize these “marriages.”

God established marriage; man cannot redefine it.

All Christians must vote NO on the Virginia marriage amendment!

God ordained marriage as a committed union between one man and one woman, where the “two become one” (Genesis 2:24).
In the sacrament of marriage, the sexual act for the couple must have the intentions of being unitive (love-giving) and procreative (life-giving). Same-sex “marriage” cannot be procreative.
Sacred scripture presents homosexual acts as acts of grave sin (Genesis 19:1-29; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:10). And Church tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357).
The Church calls homosexual persons to chastity and teaches that they should not engage in homosexual lifestyles (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358, 2359).
The Church also teaches that those with same-sex attraction must always be treated with respect and dignity.

Wondering what you can do to help?

Don’t delay! Early voting starts September 18.

VOTE NO on Tuesday, November 3!
Encourage your friends and family to join you at the polls and VOTE NO.
Distribute ALL’s free materials below in your churches and community.
Share this page and our resources with others on social media!

Invite American Life League to speak to your church or meeting

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Don’t be caught off guard in the middle of a conversation. Learn about these amendments and Church teaching so that you can explain why these amendments must not pass. SAVE VIRGINIA!