Take Action NOW, Virginia, HJR 1 Attacks our Children!

From Bob Marshall, former member of the VA House of Delegates and often described as the "conscience" of the General Assembly. He continues to advocate for the true the good and the beautiful. Here's the email he sent to me yesterday which calls for immediate action to protect our children. If you love your children and grandchildren, don't wait one minute to contact your senators and delegates! 

Mary Ann, Please share widely.  This Abortion Amendment may come up tomorrow in the VA House of Delegates, or certainly Tuesday or Wednesday.  This will also have to go to the state Senate.  You have a short window to contact delegates senators.

For people who do not know their delegate or senator here is a link.  https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/   

Thanks,  Bob 

To: Republicans House of Delegates members:

From: Delegate Bob Marshall (26 years General Assembly)  and Senator Dick Black (16 years General Assembly)

Between 2022 and November, 2024 fifteen states passed versions of Delegate Herring’s Reproductive Freedom Amendment (HJR 1) without amendments.  The abortionists only lost  Florida.   

Pro-life opponents argued that the vague Amendment language would lead to radical consequences.  However, no one was able to offer amendments clearly showing how radical the policies were.  In Virginia, amendments are in order.   

This past November Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (past Attorney General) said their pending RFA, “…would allow minors to obtain gender transition surgeries without parental consent …”   Abortionists disputed Gov. Parson and Senator Hawley saying, “ … this claim is a stretch at best — and at worst, an outright lie.” [Missouri Independent, 10/20/2014].

Republicans in Virginia must clarify by floor amendments that HJR 1 gives minors the full range of sexual decision autonomy, i.e., “… every individual (emphasis added)  has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom … .”  

Chief Justice John Marshall (1819) wrote, “The words of an instrument, unless there be some sinister design that shuns the light, will always represent the intention of those who frame it.”

The words in HJR 1, per generally accepted dictionary and court usage, authorize minors on their own to obtain sterilizations, abortions, sex-changes on the tax payer dime without parental knowledge or consent.  For Example, Virginia Planned Parenthood, notes  “All services offered at The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood are available to patients of all genders.”;  VA Planned Parenthood states, “In its first year, the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood cared for 500 trans patients … .”

If House Democrats contend that HJR 1 does not allow minors to obtain transgender surgeries or hormones, or to obtain abortions without parental consent, Republicans should assert that if Democrats are accurate, they should not object to clarifying amendments.  By putting both Democrats and Republicans on the board, the public can judge for themselves who is correct. 

Record votes on a wide range of clarifying amendments, such as on abortion, transgender medical procedures, protecting conscience and other related policies will prove to the public the Democrat’s  radical purposes of HJR 1.

If the Speaker attempts to shield the Democrat caucus from record votes on controversial issues by ruling amendments are not germane, each and every such ruling should be challenged per House Rule 53.  Delegates have an opportunity to remind the public that every abortion takes the life of an innocent preborn child. 

Attached are suggested areas for amendments to HJR 1.  If possible, Legislative Service attorneys should draft the language to make it difficult for the Speaker to disallow any amendments.  

Based on our long public experience as elected officials, the pro-life grassroots and donors will not be satisfied if their current representatives fail to address by specific amendments and public record votes each and every attack on the sanctity of life of preborn children authorized by HJR 1.

Suggested policy areas for amendment of HJR 1:

·        Reproductive Freedom shall only apply to persons 18 and older;   

·        Prohibit tax funded abortions. [60% of voters oppose tax funded abortion.  (Knights of Columbus Marist Poll, January 2023)];     

·        Require parental consent before school counselors/others can help students change their sex/gender.  [71% of registered voters support, 21 % oppose. (CRC Research, March 2023 for Parents Defending Education)];

·        Allow enactment of 24-hour abortion waiting period.  [63% of voters support a 24-Hour abortion waiting period.  (Marketing Resource Group, March, 2023)];  [69% Favor, 28% Oppose. (Gallup, 2011)];

·        The General Assembly may exempt persons with professional licenses from being required to offer services providing reproductive services or cooperating with their implementation as a condition of keeping their professional license or of contracting with the Commonwealth or any of its subdivisions;

·        The General Assembly may enact legislation providing that declining to provide reproductive services shall not constitute invidious discrimination, or a violation of civil rights.   

·        General Assembly may require doctors to show and describe ultrasound images to women seeking abortion.  [57% American public supports,  42% oppose.  (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020)]

·        Abortion may only be performed by doctors who have hospital admission privileges.  [69% support, 30% oppose.  (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020)];

·        The General Assembly may exempt institutions or individuals from requirements that mandate the provision of reproductive services including, but not limited to anti-fertility drugs or devices, sterilization, abortion, or providing gender, sex altering services.   

·        The General Assembly may limit reproductive freedom rights to residents of Virginia;

·        Legislature may prescribe the manner, place and conditions for performing abortions in the interest of safety of woman.  [90% of voters support. (Marketing Resource Group, March, 2023)];

·        HJR 1 shall not be interpreted to invalidate statutes requiring Parental Consent for minors before any abortion:  [(70% say YES, 28% say NO, PEW Research, Center, May 5, 2022)]

·        Exempt pro-life pregnancy aid centers from referring women to abortion clinics.   [Of likely voters 50% oppose compelling pregnancy centers, 29% support and 20% are undecided.  (Rasmussen, 3/16/2017)];

·        General Assembly may require parental consent for any reproductive or sex altering services or drugs, or medical procedures.  [56% support, 43% oppose.  (PEW Research, May 2022)];  [67% of voters support parental consent.  (Marketing Resource Group) March, 2023)]

·        Require parental notice for abortion.  [70% , 28% oppose. (PEW Research, March, 2022)];

·        General Assembly may prohibit abortion when there is a detectable heartbeat in the preborn child.  [49% support, 50% oppose.  (Kaiser Family Foundation 2020 survey)];    

·        HJR 1 shall not be interpreted to alter existing Virginia law prohibiting cloning.   [Virginia has a $50,000 fine for attempted cloning.  (VA Code, sec. 32.1-162.21-22)];

·        HJR 1 shall not be interpreted to permit gene editing to make designer babies to enhance intelligence or athletic ability.  [69% oppose designer babies. 12% support.  (AP. Univ. Chicago Dec. 2018)];   

·        The General Assembly may outlaw human embryo testing.  [65% of  Americans oppose embryo testing, 33% support. (PEW Research, July 2018)];   

·        The General Assembly may prohibit abortion after viability;

·        The General Assembly may require medical care for infants born alive after a failed abortion;

·        The General Assembly may enact legislation prohibiting abortion that inflicts pain on a child;    

·        The General Assembly may prohibit sex selection abortions;

·        The General Assembly may prohibit “fetal reduction abortions” from IVF process; 

·        The General Assembly may penalize persons coercing minor or adult women into having an abortion; 

·        The General Assembly may prohibit selling or furnishing pornography or sexually explicit pictures, films, sexual devices etc., to minors;

·        The General Assembly enact sexual trafficking laws to protect minors from predatory adults.

·        The General Assembly may require parental consent for reproductive services which can cause permanent sterilization;

·        The General Assembly may exempt private schools and home schools from any requirements relating to reproductive freedom requirements and accreditation or licensure of teachers and staff;    

·        The General Assembly may prescribe disciplinary measures regulating abortionists, including loss of medical license, fort failure to inform women of serious complications they can experience;

·        The General Assembly may regulate or prohibit types of abortion that result in significantly higher incidence of preterm birth (before 37 weeks), low birthweight or cerebral palsy in later wanted pregnancies; 

·        The General Assembly may require written and notarized informed consent before abortions are performed;

·        The General Assembly may prohibit school personnel or state employees from assisting  unemancipated minors to receive reproductive services without parental consent;

·        The General Assembly may require available follow up care by abortion providers to treat abortion complications;

·        The General Assembly may require the collection of abortion complication data;