Title: Virginia is Halfway There!

Original CoS Document (slug): [[https://conventionofstates.com/virginia-is-halfway-there|virginia-is-halfway-there]]

Login Required to view? No

Created: 2016-12-23 15:43:00

Updated: 2022-01-24 15:11:48

Published: 2016-12-22 00:00:00

Converted: 2025-04-14T20:55:20.219182059


----

We finished strong in the Virginia General Assembly this year! As you know, HJ3 passed the House of Delegates two weeks ago despite heavy fire from aggressive, slanderous, ill-mannered opponents who made a spectacle of themselves during committee hearings in the House.

 

Friends,

We finished strong in the Virginia General Assembly this year! As you know, HJ3 passed the House of Delegates two weeks ago despite heavy fire from aggressive, slanderous, ill-mannered opponents who made a spectacle of themselves during committee hearings in the House.

Now, just this morning, the Senate Rules Committee voted to carry the resolution over to the 2017 session. This delays action by the Senate, giving us several more months to secure those last few votes we need to pass in the Senate.

How can I adequately thank those of you who took days off work to attend committee hearings; stayed up late after a long day to compose an e-mail message to your legislators; called other supporters in your district to ask them to take action; helped to deliver the thousands of citizen petitions to legislators’ offices; gathered additional petitions; organized events in your districts; attended our rally in the freezing cold; or personally met with your legislator to seek support for our mission?

I feel quite incapable of thanking you adequately—I can only do it sincerely.

YOU are the very heart and soul of this movement. You have encouraged me personally, as well as our state and national leadership teams, with your willingness to stand up, show up, and speak up to assert your right of self-governance.

A lion has roared in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Of course, our work is not yet finished here. We will be calling on you to enlist your help in our strategy to expand our grassroots supporter base and gain the remaining Senate votes that we need.

Winston Churchill once said, “Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” Over the course of thousands of “small moments” for the rest of this year, I believe we will show the nation the character of a true American patriot—one who is willing to dedicate time and energy to doing the hard work of urging friends, neighbors, and elected officials to step out in courage and use the constitutional process given to us to preserve our liberty.

I am proud to labor alongside you, trusting in the hand of Divine Providence to lead the way.

Rita Dunaway (on behalf of the Virginia COS Action leadership team)