Abortion opponents lobby legislators at Virginia Capitol

Anti-abortion advocates gathered Wednesday morning at the Virginia State Capitol to lobby for stricter abortion restrictions. 

Participants began at the Greater Richmond Convention Center to hear speakers outline priority issues, which ranged from mandated coverage of abortion-inducing drugs to reproductive and gender-affirming health care.

A particular focus was the recently advanced constitutional amendment enshrining the right to reproductive freedom in Virginia’s constitution, which passed the House of Delegates on Jan. 14 and the Senate on Jan. 21. 

“This is Roe on steroids,” said Amy McInerny, the Respect Life Director for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “We have got to put this fire out, or we will lose our state.”  

McInerny expressed several concerns with the amendment, saying it does not follow science, eliminates parental consent, permits late-term abortions, threatens conscience rights and more. 

The amendment reads, “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.”

To be listed on the ballot in Virginia, a constitutional amendment must pass both chambers of the General Assembly in two consecutive sessions. With delegate elections approaching in November, McInerny spoke of restoring an anti-abortion majority in the Virginia House of Delegates to prevent the amendment from passing next year. 

“We can still beat this thing back,” she said. “The brakes on the train are in your hands.” 

Olivia Gans Turner, President of the Virginia Society for Human Life, arranged the “tactical” side of the lobby day, urging participants to attend Catholic Masses nearby and watch the Senate and House regular sessions. 

“As we are hearing from our politicians these days, ‘the battles are in the states,’ and nowhere is that more true than in Virginia,” Turner said.

After hearing from McInerny, Turner and other speakers, many of the anti-abortion advocates traveled to the General Assembly to meet with legislators. 

 Sen. Christie New Craig, R-Chesapeake, introduced advocates to the Senate floor, noting that today marks the fourth annual anti-abortion lobby day. The Virginia Catholic Conference, the Dioceses of Arlington and Richmond,  and the Virginia Society for Human Life organized this year’s events.  

“They stand in representation of thousands of Virginians from communities across the state who share their commitment to protecting life,” Craig said.