On November 13, the House Privileges and Elections Committee convened to discuss House Joint Resolution 9, a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution that seeks to safeguard marriage equality. Delegates Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas), Rozia Henson (D-Lorton, Woodbridge), and Paul Milde (R), representing parts of Northern Virginia, participated in the proceedings, which underscored Virginia's ongoing evolution in its approach to civil rights and marriage laws.
The resolution, introduced by Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax), aims to remove outdated language defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman. It also establishes protections ensuring that marriage rights are granted equally, regardless of sex, gender, or race. Sickles highlighted the growing public support for marriage equality, citing polling that shows a significant shift in attitudes since the original constitutional ban was enacted in 2006.
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On Tuesday, November 13, 2024, the Virginia House Privileges and Elections Committee engaged in a debate over a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to glorify reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion, into the state’s constitution.
House Joint Resolution 1 (HJ1), dubbed the "Reproductive Freedom Amendment," aims to safeguard access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare. The amendment would codify the right to make decisions about pregnancy, contraception, and childbirth free from undue government interference.
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In a rare move, following Donald Trump’s re-election to the presidency, the Virginia House of Delegates Privileges and Elections Committee has scheduled a surprise meeting to review three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution.
The meeting, set for 11 a.m. tomorrow, November 13, 2024, will take place in House Committee Room C—206. It will catch the public’s attention ahead of the General Assembly’s regular session in January 2025.
The proposed amendments aim to codify rights around convicted felons voting, abortion, and gay marriage. Notable committee members include bipartisan voices such as Paul Milde (R-Stafford), Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg), Rozia Henson (D-Woodbridge), and Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas).
Proposed Amendments on the Agenda:
Voting Rights
One proposed amendment, co-patroned by Prince William and Stafford County Senator Jeremy McPike (D), seeks to expand and clarify voting rights in Virginia. Under this amendment, individuals who have completed incarceration for felony convictions would automatically regain their voting rights, eliminating the current requirement for rights restoration by the governor.
Additionally, this proposal clarifies that mental incompetency can only disqualify an individual from voting if a court has determined the person cannot understand the act of voting. The amendment also includes provisions to allow advanced registration for young citizens nearing voting age, helping to ease their entry into the electoral process.
Abortion
In response to ongoing debates around abortion, the second proposed amendment would establish a constitutional right to abortion. This amendment, also co-patroned by McPike, states that individuals have an intrinsic right to make decisions about all matters related to pregnancy without government interference unless justified by a compelling state interest, such as protecting health per accepted medical standards.
The amendment also protects individuals from prosecution or penalties for seeking an abortion.
Gay Marriage
If adopted, the third amendment, co-patroned by Cole, would enshrine gay marriage in Virginia’s Constitution. It removes the current language defining marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman, instead recognizing marriage as a fundamental right.
The amendment prohibits discrimination in marriage licensing based on sex, gender, or race, ensuring equal treatment under state law for all marriages. Religious organizations and clergy would still retain the right to refuse to perform marriages that conflict with their beliefs. This amendment seeks to solidify Virginia’s commitment to marriage equality, further supporting recent shifts in national and state attitudes.
As the General Assembly prepares to meet in full session in January, the Privileges and Elections Committee’s preliminary discussions on these amendments could set the tone for Virginia’s legislative agenda in 2025.
Citizens interested in speaking or submitting comments to tomorrow’s committee meeting may do so online here.
Local officials, including Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D), Vice Mayor Alanna Mensing, and Council Members Yesy Amaya and Darryl Moore, organized the event to create a safe and supportive environment for domestic violence survivors, they said during a governing body meeting on Sept. 17, 2024. A panel of representatives from various community-serving nonprofits will offer vital information on services available to victims and their families.
Attendees can hear from experts, ask questions, and gain insights into locally available resources. Among the organizations participating are agencies focused on mental health and emergency housing and advocates who work directly with survivors.
The event highlights the collaborative efforts of the community and nonprofit organizations to ensure support for those affected. Manassas Park City Schools also offer mental health support services, such as Care Solis, a multilingual, free mental health service open to all residents.
The city’s website also provides resources for domestic violence victims, including hotline numbers and community service programs that provide immediate help. The forum underscores Manassas Park’s dedication to fostering a community of safety, awareness, and prevention.
The workshop follows the disappearance and likely death of Mamta Kaffle Bhatt of Manassas Park. She’s not been seen since late July, and her husband, Naresh Bhatt, will stand trial on a charge of concealing a body in December. So far, investigators have located her body.
Hundreds of residents gathered at Signal Hill Park on Saturday, August 24, for a vigil to share their thoughts about the missing Manassas Park mother, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, who is believed to have been murdered in her home.
The sound of children playing at the park was poignant as Kafle Bhatt disappeared just weeks before her daughter celebrated her first birthday. Speakers at the event highlighted that Mamta means “loving mother” in her native Nepal.
Initially expected to draw around 200 attendees, the vigil saw an overwhelming turnout of more than 800 people. The crowd was so large that the ceremony had to be paused and moved from inside the Signal Hill Park pavilion to a nearby hill to accommodate the gathering.
The event was organized to raise awareness about the 28-year-old woman, who was last seen in person on July 28, 2024. Her last known activity was posting a video of a religious ceremony on social media on July 29.
The vigil featured a multi-faith ceremony, uniting various religious communities in mourning and support for Kafle Bhatt. A recurring theme among the speakers was the need for women to speak up about domestic violence and seek help as soon as possible.
Virginia Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D) addressed the crowd, announcing her plans to introduce legislation to prevent domestic violence. The proposed bill would pair social workers with police officers responding to domestic violence calls, similar to the co-responder units that some police departments in Virginia use for those in mental health crises. Although Manassas Park, a city of 17,200 people, does not have such a program, neighboring Prince William County’s co-responder program, serving nearly a half-million residents, began in December 2020 and has been well received.
Organizers of the vigil also revealed that two separate crowdfunding efforts have raised over $221,000 for the care and education of Kafle Bhatt’s daughter, affectionately known as “Baby Mamta.” Lawyers have volunteered to set up a trust fund to manage the money, ensuring it goes solely toward the child’s needs.
Efforts are underway to expedite travel documents for Kafle Bhatt’s mother, who lives in Nepal so that she can reunite with her granddaughter in the U.S.
Despite the ever-increasing likelihood that Kafle Bhatt will not be found alive, police have not updated Kafle Bhatt’s status from “missing under involuntary circumstances,” even after her husband, Naresh Bhatt, was indicted on Friday on a felony count of concealing a body. During a brief court hearing, Bhatt heard prosecution evidence against him. The Commonwealth Attorney’s office presented evidence from detectives, who described finding freshly cleaned pools of blood and blood spatter in the master bedroom of the couple’s Manassas Park home.
Detectives reported that there were signs something “had been dragged” between the master bedroom and bathroom. Forensic experts testified that blood-detecting chemicals “lit up” the entire shower floor, indicating a lot of blood had pooled there. The blood samples forensic teams collected have been sent to a lab for identification, which could take several months.
Further testimony revealed that Bhatt had purchased knives and cleaning supplies at a Walmart in Loudoun County. Police have accounted for only one of the knives from a pack of three. Before a search warrant was executed on August 22, detectives said Bhatt sold his months-old Tesla to CarMax. Detectives also found packed suitcases and passports for Bhatt and the couple’s one-year-old daughter, suggesting travel plans.
According to updates from the ” Find Mamta Kafle Bhatt ” Facebook group, volunteer searchers have shifted their focus to Loudoun County and Maryland in light of the evidence presented in court.
Bhatt is scheduled to return to court on Monday for a bond hearing. Supporters of Mamta Kafle Bhatt plan to attend and urge the court to deny Bhatt’s release on bond.
