GOP: Pay no attention to our extreme conservative agenda

February 16, 2012

In response to the large amount of criticism of their conservative agenda, House Speaker William Howell attempted to defend his caucus's priorities stating, "Less than 2.5 percent of the bills that have passed the House dealt with socially conservative issues."

Progressive Point: Virginians sent their representatives to Richmond with the expectation that they would address our priorities: economic investment, good schools, and better roads. Any Virginian can tell that this has not been their focus. There is no acceptable amount of bills that make Virginians' lives worse. It only takes one bill to put Virginia women's health at risk. It only takes one bill to make it easier to traffic guns. It only takes one bill to make it harder for Virginians to vote.

Conservatives want us to say thank you for not being even worse? They're asking Virginians to be grateful that they haven't pushed even more extreme legislation while ignoring creating jobs and improving our economy. Blowing smoke will not stop Virginia voters from seeing how this radical, ideological legislation will negatively impact our communities. It's time for our lawmakers drop the partisan games and politics and get back to work improving the lives of Virginia families.

Get the Facts: Conservatives have spent the first half of Virginia's General Assembly session introducing:

• 34 bills dealing with handguns, weakening Virginia's crime prevention tools


• 12 bills interfering with women's private medical decisions, which should be left to a woman, her family, and her faith


• 12 bills wasting taxpayer money on enforcing federal laws and making new immigrants feel unwelcome in the Commonwealth


• 13 bills placing barriers between Virginians who have fallen on hard times and the help they need to get back on their feet, insinuating that being poor is shameful


• 3 bills establishing some Virginians as second-class citizens, denying equal protection under the law to some Virginia families based solely on their sexual orientation


• 32 bills increasing the tax giveaways and loopholes for big corporations


• 9 bills attacking Virginia workers' rights and protections


• 13 bills making it more difficult for Virginians to vote


• The personhood Del. Bob Marshall has filed would "effectively criminalize birth control and in vitro fertilization, in addition to abortion in all cases." (ThinkProgress, November 22, 2011)


• Conservative legislation in Richmond would require women seeking to have an abortion to undergo an ultrasound, be given an opportunity to view it, and then keep it in the their medical file at the facility. "The legislation is a priority for social conservatives and has support from Gov. Bob McDonnell, who called it an 'appropriate measure' during a morning radio interview." (Virginian-Pilot, February 1, 2012)

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