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PRESS RELEASES |
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Commission to focus on the treatment of crime victims and efforts
to prevent and respond to sexual violence~
(Richmond, Virginia) Delegates Franklin P. Hall and Dwight C. Jones issued this formal statement today on behalf of themselves, Virginia Senators Henry L. Marsh, III and Benjamin J. Lambert, III and Delegates Jennifer L. McClellan and A. Donald McEachin: · The first sentence of the proposed amendment to the constitution is unnecessary because marriage in Virginia is and has been defined as limited to one man and one woman for more than 30 years. · The proposed constitutional amendment has the potential for far-reaching legal and economic consequences. After further research and in-depth discussions with Constitutional scholars, it is our considered conclusion that, although we personally believe marriage should be between one man and one woman, this proposed amendment could have far reaching consequences for all Virginians and should not be written into our constitution. · The issue we have with the Amendment as it is written is with the second two sentences. It is our view that these two sentences may have unintended consequences for all Virginians. · We are particularly concerned about removing the protections of our domestic violence laws from unmarried victims, depriving unmarried couples of the comfort of their loved ones in time of medical crisis, or exposing Virginia businesses (and public sector employers) to an unpredictable risk of litigation and the inability to stay competitive in hiring the best employees in a very competitive job market. · While those of us who have signed on to this statement are not always in agreement on all things or even on our reasons for joining this statement, on this one thing we are now unanimous: We will not be voting in favor of Ballot Question #1, and we encourage voters all across Virginia to join us voting NO on November 7th. Delegate Jones said: “It is clear to me that the amendment to our bill of rights proposed in Ballot Question #1 is not necessary. The definition of marriage will not be changed by a No vote, nor is a yes vote needed to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Same sex marriage has been against the law in Virginia for more than 30 years, and it will be so on November 8th when this proposal is rejected.” Delegate Hall added: “This amendment, with its vague and ambiguous language is much too broad. No one can say what the courts will do with this new wording or how they will rule in given cases; what is a sure thing, however, is that the outcome will be unpredictable and may involve many families and businesses in unnecessary lawsuits.” Senator Marsh said: “I have worked too long and too hard for equality before the law to endorse a measure like this the only purpose and principle effect of which is to create second class citizens.” Senator Lambert said: “I am very concerned about the impact on the business community and those businesses that provide domestic partner benefits to its employees. I am concerned about the adverse competitive effects of this amendment particularly on the ability of our local governments, public colleges and universities to attract and retain quality employees.” Delegate McClellan said: “I am deeply troubled by the impact this amendment could have on the application of domestic violence laws to unmarried couples (gay or straight), jeopardizing the safety of the over 60,000 unmarried Virginians who seek services as victims of domestic violence every year. That is a risk I am not willing to take to reiterate what is already state law.”
Delegate McEachin said: “I came to
the decision to oppose this amendment after much prayer and
careful consideration. Like the blind man cured by Jesus, even
after much prayer, the first time I looked at this amendment, I
didn’t see its breadth or its basic meanness. Only after I was
touched a second time, was I able to see this amendment in its
true light. This amendment to the Bill of Rights is wrong for
Virginia and wrong for our constitution.” July 19, 2006
“The Virginia League of Conservation Voters is committed to providing an accountability tool for environmentally concerned voters in the form of an annual Legislative Conservation Scorecard,” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of the Virginia League. “Virginia’s rich history and natural beauty are among its best attributes and we should do everything we can to preserve them,” said Delegate McClellan. “I have worked with senior members from both parties to protect the environment and to make sure all Virginians have things many of us take for granted like clean drinking water and clear air. But environmental conservation should not be limited to controlling pollution. Building strong urban centers, controlling landfill siting, and promoting brownfield remediation are all ways we can be better stewards of the environment.” A copy of the VLCV’s press release can be found at http://www.valcv.org/valcvdocs/documents/2006VALCVScorecardPressRelease.pdf. The entire scorecard can be found at http://www.valcv.org/valcvdocs/2006ScorecardStatistics.html. Delegate McClellan was elected to the House of Delegates from the 71st District in 2005. She serves on the House Commerce & Labor and Education Committees. She has a long history of community service, and serves on several non-profit boards. Richmond Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan Honored by Virginia Jaycees Richmond, Va. – (June 5, 2006) –
The Junior Chamber (Jaycees) selected Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan
as the 2006 recipient of its Outstanding Young Virginian Award.
McClellan was honored on May 20, 2006, by the Virginia Jaycees at
their annual conference. STATEMENT OF DELEGATE
JENNIFER L. MCCLELLAN March 7, 2006 CONTACT:
March 6th, 2006 CONTACT - Matt Mansell, (804)644-1966, extension 228 Property tax assessments in the Commonwealth have risen sharply recently, and that has put elderly and disabled Virginians on fixed incomes in a financial crunch. In a housing market in which boarded-up properties routinely sell for $100,000, many Richmond residents saw their 2005 real estate assessments increase by more than 20 percent, drastically increasing property taxes. In transitioning neighborhoods such as Carver, Jackson Ward and Church Hill, that can force many seniors out of their homes. Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, has introduced legislation in the General Assembly that would attack the problem head-on and keep seniors in their homes, increasing the cap on property tax exemptions for seniors and the disabled in the city of Richmond from $200,000 to $350,000. “This is important legislation, because seniors have borne the brunt of skyrocketing property assessments; the results are backdoor tax increases,” said House Democratic Leader Frank Hall. “Delegate McClellan’s legislation will help end the sticker shock.” McClellan’s bill was incorporated into other homeowner tax relief legislation that she co-sponsored. That bill passed the House on February 10 and the Senate on March 3. “We can’t allow seniors to be forced to choose every month between paying their mortgages or paying for prescriptions or food,” said Democratic House Caucus Chairman Brian Moran. “Delegate McClellan’s bill would bring sanity and stability to the property tax bills of Virginia seniors, and it’s another example of how Democrats in the House are working every day to address the most important priorities of the people of the Commonwealth.” |
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On
October 18th, I joined fellow members of the Richmond delegation to
the General Assembly in a press conference to announce our
opposition to Ballot Question #1, the so called “Marriage
Amendment.” The full text of the press release is below.
The
Virginia League of Conservation Voters (VALCV) today released its 7th
Edition of the Legislative Conservation Scorecard announcing
the conservation voting records of state legislators.