• On February 22, 2022, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Privileges and Elections
• On February 15, 2022, the bill was Read the third time and agreed to by the Senate (The "Yes" were 23 and the "Nays" were 14)
• On February 11, the bill was Read second time and engrossed
• On February 10, 2022, the bill was Read First Time
• On February 9, 2022, the bill was Reported from Finance and Apropriations (The "Yeas" were 13 and the "Nays" were 3)
• On January 20, 2022, the bill was Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations.
• On January 18, 2022, the bill was Reported Out of the Committee on Privileges and Elections ( The "Yeas" were 10 and the "Nays" were 5).
• On December 22, 2021, in the Virginia Senate the bill was Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections.
• On December 22, 2022, in the Virginia Senate, the bill was Prefiled and ordered printed.

• On February 14, 2022, the bill was read the third time and passed the Senate (The "Yeas" were 25 and the "Nays were 14)
• On February 11, 2022, the bill was read the second time and engrossed
• On February 10, 2022, Constitutional reading dispensed (The "Yeas" were 40 and the "Nays" were 0)
• On February 9, the bill was Reported from Finance and Appropriations (The "Yeas" were 13 and the "Nays" were 3)
• On January 18, 2022, the bill was Rereferred to the Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations.
• On January 18, 2022, the bill was Reported from Committee on Privileges and Elections ( The "Yeas" were 10 and the "Nays" were 5).
• On January 12, 2022, in the Virginia Senate the bill was Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections.
• On January 12, 2022, in the Virginia Senate, the bill was Prefiled and ordered printed.

We believe that God, the Creator and Institutor of marriage, has clearly defined in His Word that marriages are made up of one man and one woman for life and only one man and one woman for life. Currently, the state of Virginia’s Bill of Rights recognizes only a Biblical definition of marriage . However, there are two bills, companion bill, that are moving through the Virginia senate committees and senate body that directly impact that definition and the recognition of marriage according to the Virginia State Constitution. Those two bills are SJ5 and SB557.

Below, we have done our best to help inform you about these dangerous pieces of legislation and then it is followed by the call to action.

This resolution impacts the only current definition of marriage in the Virginia State Constitution (Section 15-A of Article 1). Currently, this section reads as follows:

Article I. Bill of Rights

Section 15-A. Marriage

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

Senate Joint Resolution 5 would change and amend this section as follows (if passed, words that are in italics will be added and words in bold type will be removed):

Article I. Bill of Rights

Section 15-A. Marriage Fundamental right to marry.

That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions the right to marry is a fundamental right, inherent in the liberty of persons, and marriage is one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage and agents shall issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage.

Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

This bill provides for a referendum at the November 8, 2022, election to approve or reject an amendment that would repeal the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between a man and woman The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

Together, these bills remove the only current definition of marriage in the Virginia State Constitution. That doesn’t just leave marriage without a clear definition in our State governing documents, but it actually expands the recognition of marriage to whatever anybody decides to consider a marriage relationship. It removes the only current limitation to what is legally recognized as a marriage relationship in the Commonwealth.

We do, however, applaud the inclusion of the final clause that allows religious organizations and clergy to refuse to perform any marriage outside of their religiously held convictions.

We encourage a NO vote on SB557 because it would be better for the bill to be stopped in the senate and not be brought to a vote by the voters in the state of Virginia. If it does get to the point where we vote on whether or not to accept this constitutional change in the November 2022 election cycle, we encourage you to vote NOT to accept the amendment and changes, but to leave the current wording of Article 1, Section 15-A on marriage as it is currently written.  

Since the bill has passed narrowly out of the senate, there are two more actions that we need to take right now:

CALL our state delegate and ask him to vote AGAINST these bills. He needs to hear from us that we want him to vote NO on SJ5 and on SB557. 

You can reach the office of Israel O'Quinn at 804.698.1005

PRAY for our state delegate to make the right decisions and to vote against these bills and pray that there would be enough state delegates with backbones to resist the pressure that is being put on them to vote in favor of these bills.