"Through the Virginia Catholic Conference email advocacy network," Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Knestout said Jan. 21, "thousands of Catholics across Virginia sent messages to their legislators asking them to vote against the abortion expansion and marriage redefinition measures, and in favor of restoring voting rights."

There were tears, yells and a call of “out of order” but by the end of the day Virginia’s Senate on Tuesday passed three resolutions aimed at enshrining certain civil rights into the state’s constitution.

With contraception rights under scrutiny nationwide, Virginia Democrats are doubling down on efforts to safeguard access, even as they brace for potential pushback from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Lawmakers in the Virginia House of Delegates passed resolutions on Tuesday enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality in a critical step for Democrats hoping to amend the state’s constitution next year.

Three amendments are one step closer in a long journey to being enshrined in the Virginia Constitution after passing the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate paved the way to enshrine abortion, marriage equality,

Abortion policy could see more changes across the U.S. as President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term and state legislative sessions get rolling

RICHMOND, Va. (CN) — The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to advance a trio of constitutional amendments to guarantee Virginians' right to abortion care, automatically restore voting rights to disenfranchised felons and remove an antiquated law banning same-sex marriage .

The resolution has a long way to go before it can become part of the state's constitution. However, House Republicans said it already violates state law.

There were tears, yells and a call of “out of order” but by the end of the day Virginia’s Senate on Tuesday passed three resolutions aimed at enshrining certain civil

The state Senate also backed proposed amendments to repeal the ban on same-sex marriage in the state constitution and to automatically restore voting rights to felons who served their terms.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday he would pardon anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances. Related video above: Trump administration goes offense on immigration while defending pardons of Jan. 6 rioters Trump called it “a great honor to sign this.”