Pro-Family Group Urging Virginia Legislators to Tackle Values Issues
by Ed Thomas
January 11, 2007
(AgapePress) - - Virginia's new General Assembly legislative session begins today, and pro-family advocates have an ambitious agenda for bill proposals they will be submitting to the state's lawmakers. A spokesman for the Virginia-based grassroots group, The Family Foundation, says his organization believes the success of the state marriage amendment in last November's election shows the constituents' support for values initiatives. Chris Freund, The Family Foundation's director of policy and communications, says pro-family supporters want to address one particular issue that was the focus of some marriage amendment opponents' criticism -- the high divorce rate. The Virginia pro-family group hopes to do this by taking a look at tightening the state's no-fault divorce laws.
"We also, this year, as a result of our marriage campaign and passing the marriage amendment in November, want to strengthen marriage in Virginia by reforming our divorce laws," Freund says. And on the other end of the family scale, he notes, also near the top of the agenda will be proposals to keep children from exposure to obscene and illegal material on the Internet when they are surfing the web at public libraries.
"One of our highest priorities is an Internet filter bill; we want to require our public libraries to have Internet filters on their computers if they receive state funding," the Foundation spokesman explains. "That's a piece of legislation we've been working on for several years." Also, he notes, his group hopes to protect children in another way, through strengthening Virginia's Informed Consent law, which requires women seeking abortions to be given developmental information about their unborn child.
Freund says Virginia pro-family groups want an ultrasound image to be part of that information. "We've put in legislation this year that would update our Informed Consent law to require an ultrasound and that the woman be given the opportunity to view that ultrasound," he notes; "and we really believe with the technology the way it is, that's going to lead to more women choosing to keep their child."
The Family Foundation's members think at least two factors will be in their favor as they seek to bring values issues to the attention of the Assembly, Freund adds. He says these include the support for pro-family priorities being shown by the Virginia Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor already and the elections for many General Assembly legislators that are taking place in November.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
