Virginia’s Democratic Senate passed amendments to the constitution on Tuesday that addressed abortion and voting rights. Republicans criticized the move, claiming they could use these issues in their campaign for statewide elections this November.

The Senate passed both resolutions on a party-line vote. The Senate also passed, in a bipartisan vote of 24 to 15, a resolution that repealed the now-disappearing ban on same-sex weddings, backed by Senator Adam Ebbin. He is the first openly homosexual legislator elected to the Virginia legislature. In a similar vote, the Democratic-led Virginia House of Delegates approved legislation on these three issues in early April.

“We will enshrine this right in our Constitution, make sure our freedoms are not at risk and give the power back to people,” said Democratic Senator Jennifer Boysko who sponsored the resolution on abortion.

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The Tuesday debates gave insight into the issues that lawmakers will campaign on in November when 100 seats of the House of Delegates are up for election. The proposed constitutional amendments have to be approved twice by legislators in a period of at least two year, with a parliamentary election taking place between the two sessions. Then, the proposed amendments will be put to a referendum.

Republicans criticized Democrats for refusing a language that would require parental consent to minors in the abortion amendment.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Senate Minority leader Ryan McDougle (a Republican from central Virginia) said, “When it comes down to amendments, the ability of parents to be involved in the decisions made by their children is our highest priority.” “These are the things we will fight for in this session.”

Barbara Favola, a Democratic Senator from California, criticized the argument in a heated debate.

Favola added: “Not all families are loving and supportive. Not every family cares about the child’s best interests.” There have been cases of a child being raped, either by her father or her stepfather. In some cases, a family will evict their daughter if she becomes pregnant.

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Tara Durant, a Republican senator, said that the amendment on abortion, which does not distinguish between adults or children, is an attack on parental rights.

Durant stated, “We will no longer respect parental authority. We will shred our very fabric as a parent or a mother.” “And to say that strangers can make that decision which could threaten your child’s lives — we should never forget that moment.”

Republicans also criticised Democratic Sen. Mamie locke’s resolution that enshrines the right to vote. This revision revises the current process used by the state to restore voting rights to people convicted for felonies. McDougle proposed earlier this week that people convicted only regain their right to vote after paying all restitution due to victims, and that violent felons be denied the right of voting unless restored by Governor.

Locke responded by saying that every person is “more” than what they have done.

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It has nothing to with restitution. Locke, after the Tuesday vote, said that it has nothing to do whether someone committed a violent felony or a nonviolent one. It has to do that once an individual is released from prison, they are entitled to vote.