FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2026
Media: Mary.Olivia@VirginiansForReproductiveFreedom.org
ICYMI: Reproductive Freedom Will Be on the Ballot
Richmond, Va – Earlier today, Senator Jennifer Boysko and House Majority Leader Charniele Herring joined the Virginians for Reproductive Freedom Coalition at a press conference to celebrate the passage of the reproductive freedom constitutional amendment resolution.
“This amendment is about saving women’s lives because we’ve seen attacks over and over again and enough is enough,” said House Majority Leader Charniele Herring. ”Our voters, our constituents, our residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia can no longer allow politicians to control their bodies and their personal decision, whether it is accessing contraception or determining whether they want IVF and fertility treatment to start their families.”
“This moment has been years in the making,” said Senator Jennifer Boysko. “For a long time, Senate Democrats have fought to protect reproductive freedom in Virginia — even when the odds were stacked against us. Today, we are finally giving Virginians the chance to decide for themselves whether the right to make personal healthcare decisions belongs to individuals, not politicians. Putting this question on the ballot is about trust, dignity, and the freedom to control one’s own future.”
In Virginia, constitutional amendments must be passed by the General Assembly twice with an intervening state election before appearing in front of voters in November. Today marks a major milestone with the second and final passage of the measure.
Supporters spoke alongside the legislators after the historic vote to share their personal and professional testimonies on what protected access to reproductive health care would mean for their families and communities.
For too long, decisions about our bodies have been made without us, around us, and against us,” said Kenda Denia, Founder and Executive Director of Birth in Color. “We have been told to wait. To compromise. To accept half-rights and temporary protections. But I did not come here to ask for permission to be free. I came here to demand it. This constitutional amendment is about dignity. It is about autonomy. It is about whether Virginia will move forward with courage—or backward with fear.
“Every Virginian deserves to make their own private decisions about their reproductive health – no matter who’s in office. In fact, not just our reproductive freedoms, but all of our civil rights and civil liberties should be safe from political interference,” said Mary Bauer, Executive Director of the ACLU of Virginia.
“For families like mine, this isn’t a political debate. It’s a lived reality,” said Alexis Jackson, a doula, therapist, and mother who shared her story at today’s press conference. “My wife and I always dreamed of having a family. We talked about it, prayed about it, and imagined our future child long before we ever knew if it would really be possible. But that joy was only possible because we had access to reproductive health care. Without IVF, without fertility treatment, and without doctors being able to practice medicine freely, our child would not be here today.”
[Photos: Phuong Tran, ACLU of Virginia]
“Doctors across Virginia wholeheartedly support this ballot measure and thank the General Assembly for moving it forward. Like the majority of Virginians, we agree that patients should be in control of their bodies, not the government. And as physicians, we need to be able to act in the best interest of our patients, without fear of punishment. We’re grateful that, in November, Virginia voters will have the opportunity to vote to ensure patients, and all Virginians, remain in control of their bodies and have the freedom to make their own health care decisions,” said Dr. David Anthony Clark, emergency medicine and family medicine physician in Hanover County Virginia, and member of the Committee to Protect Health Care.
To learn more, read our latest press release
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Virginians for Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of Virginia families, doctors, nurses, and health care organizations, working to ensure Virginians can make reproductive health decisions free from government interference. The ballot measure will amend the Virginia state constitution to protect Virginians’ freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care, protect doctors, nurses and patients from being punished for these decisions, and allow restrictions on abortion during the third trimester except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive.