Virginia Democrats passed a constitutional amendment on Friday that would codify within the state constitution the right to kill unborn babies in abortions.
The proposed abortion amendment will now go before voters in a statewide referendum in November. The Democrat-controlled state Senate also passed amendments to address same-sex marriage, restoring the voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences, and redistricting, WRIC reported.
In Virginia, constitutional amendments must be approved by both the state House and Senate twice before being placed on a ballot and ratified by a simple majority of voters. State lawmakers passed the first three amendments in January 2025 and passed in late October the redistricting amendment, which would temporarily authorize the legislature to amend state congressional maps if any other state legislature changes its maps between Jan. 1, 2025, and Oct. 31, 2030.
The abortion amendment, sponsored by Democrat state Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Democrat Del. Charniele Herring, would create a “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.”
The amendment would allow some regulation of third-trimester abortions but would prohibit the state from banning abortions that a physician deems needed to protect the “life or physical or mental health of a pregnant individual” or if the physician deems the baby “not viable.”
“Republicans opposed the amendment unanimously. Some attempted amendments to preserve parental consent laws or ensure care for babies born alive, but these were rejected by extreme Democrats who want no limits on killing babies before birth,” LifeNews reported.
In Virginia, abortions are currently legal through 27 weeks of pregnancy.
The effort comes after the 2024 election cycle in which abortion was on the ballot in ten states. Seven states passed the measures, while three states rejected them.
Ballot measures are particularly effective as an offensive weapon because they are basically irreversible — they change a state constitution, take precedence over laws passed by state legislatures, and can only be overturned by another ballot measure or lengthy legal battles. Abortion ballot measures are typically propped up by Democrats or left-wing organizations and affiliates with deep pockets — such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU — out-of-state dark money groups, and billionaires with eugenicist leanings, oftentimes outspending pro-life organizations by double or triple.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
