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Senate sends marriage‑related constitutional amendment to voters after debate and reconsideration
Summary
The Senate debated and ultimately agreed to send a constitutional amendment addressing marriage (HJR 3 / SJR 3) to the ballot; supporters framed the change as aligning the state constitution with federal precedents and protecting dignity, while some asked for clarifying protections for clergy and religious institutions.
The Senate debated House Joint Resolution 3 (and its Senate counterpart) on a constitutional amendment related to marriage between consenting adults and voted to send the measure to the ballot after a motion to reconsider and a subsequent roll‑call vote.
Senator Ivan (Alexandria) urged colleagues to affirm marriage equality, saying the state constitution should reflect federal law and the dignity of families formed by same‑sex couples; speakers noted federal precedent established through Supreme Court decisions. The Senate voted on the resolution and, after a parliamentary motion to reconsider, again approved the resolution on the second vote (final recorded tally showing majority support).
A brief floor amendment debate touched on whether the amendment required an explicit clergy carve‑out; one floor amendment offered by Senator Jordan was found not to be relevant to the constitutional amendment’s text and was not adopted. The clerk recorded the final vote and the measure will be placed on a future referendum for Virginia voters to decide.
