Virginia State GOP Set to Vote on Radical Democratic Amendments

The State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia is meeting Saturday morning in Fredericksburg to consider whether to oppose or remain neutral on three highly controversial proposed Democratic amendments to the Virginia Constitution.

The amendments cover abortion, same-sex marriage and gender identity, and voting rights for those convicted of felonies.

The abortion amendment would expand the already existing right to abortion in Virginia and allow nonmedical personnel to perform them. It would also allow minors to seek abortions without parental knowledge or approval.

Same-sex marriage is already legal across the nation because of the Supreme Court Obergefell decision, but the Democratic amendment in Virginia would place same sex marriage in the Virginia Constitution. This would ensure that if Obergefell were ever overturned—as was Roe V. Wade—same-sex marriage would still be the law in Virginia.

Additionally, the proposed amendment would insert gender ideology into the constitution. This would mean boys in girls’ sports, boys in girls locker rooms, and mutilating surgery for gender-confused kids.

The third amendment would allow those convicted of felony crimes to vote. A mainstay of American jurisprudence has been the removal of this right from those who commit serious or violent crimes. The Democrats, it seems, speculate that their numbers increase when convicted criminals are added to the voter rolls.

These Democratic amendments have flummoxed some Republican leaders. A month ago, the issue arose in the Fairfax GOP when former Attorney General Jason Miyares intervened in the local Fairfax meeting and urged members to vote neutral. It was reported that this was the wish of the new chairman of the state party, Jeff Ryer, though this is now disputed.

The Fairfax GOP voted nearly unanimously to oppose the amendments.

The next battlefield on these issues in the Virginia GOP was a recent meeting of the State Central Committee, where a motion was made to oppose the amendments. However, the motion was sidetracked by a motion to put the issue into a secret meeting of the state party’s resolutions committee that would not report until August—too late for the GOP to have much of an effect on voting against the amendments. It was clear in that meeting that a bare majority of the Central Committee wants to publicly oppose the amendments.

A small group of GOP activists in Fairfax County has been campaigning with state party leaders and with members of the State Central Committee.

The issue pits those in the party who want a so-called big tent—those who argue that the GOP must become more liberal on foundational issues like abortion and marriage—against those social conservatives and Christians who insist the party must stand on principle on core issues.

This Saturday morning the State Central Committee will meet in Fredericksburg, and it is reported that the Democratic amendments will be discussed and could be voted on. An informal poll in recent days shows 20 members on the record opposing the amendments. Eleven are on record that they will vote for neutrality. There are roughly 79 members of the State Central Committee.

Hats off to the sneaky Democrats for putting some lily-livered Republicans in a tough spot. A neutral vote by the Central Committee will spell huge trouble for the Republican Party of Virginia.

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