Constitutional amendment; marriage (first reference). (HJ3)

Introduced By

Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) with support from co-patron Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Constitutional amendment (first resolution); marriage. Proposes the repeal of the constitutional amendment dealing with marriage that was approved by referendum at the November 2006 election. That amendment to the Bill of Rights (i) defines marriage as "only a union between one man and one woman"; (ii) prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage"; and (iii) prohibits the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage." Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
11/18/2013Committee
11/18/2013Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/14 14100088D
11/18/2013Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/12/2014Left in Privileges and Elections

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: SJ1 and HJ11.

Comments

Claire Gastanaga writes:

The ACLU of Virginia supports the repeal of the Marshall-Newman amendment and the related statutes that deny the freedom to marry and all legal recognition for the relationships of same sex couples.

ACLU-VA LGBT Rights, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia supports the repeal of the amendment to the Virginia bill of rights that limits the freedom of Virginians to marry the person they love and prohibits any recognition of a relationship between two people other than a marriage between a man and a woman.

Equality Virginia, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

Equality Virginia supports this bill because all Virginians should enjoy the fundamental human right to marry the person they love. This resolution that is the first step toward repealing the Marshall-Newman amendment to the Virginia Constitution that denies relationship recognition to gay and lesbian couples.