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Monthly Archives: July 2025

Upcoming Virtual Event – The Fight to Abolish Felony Disenfranchisement

Posted on July 21, 2025 - 9:08 am by

Monday, July 21, 2025
2:00 PM ET/ 11:00 AM PT

Felony disenfranchisement, a Jim Crow relic which takes away an individual’s freedom to vote if they have been convicted of a felony, is a stain on our democracy. This practice excludes millions of Americans from participating in our elections depending on where they live, either because they have been disenfranchised under law or because of confusing or burdensome laws around restoring their voting rights.

Campaign Legal Center’s Restore Your Vote team has been working alongside clients, partners and affected individuals in states across the country to fight back against felony disenfranchisement and help those in their communities restore their freedom to vote.

Panelists from states that have made progress in this fight will illuminate the historical context behind the practice of felony disenfranchisement; discuss the unique barriers faced by advocates for voting rights restoration; and highlight the strategies and tactics that are proving successful across the country.

🚨Register to Attend🚨

On July 21 at 2 PM ET, Campaign Legal Center, joined by local community leaders who have been working to combat felony disenfranchisement, will hold a conversation to explore how states across the country are making progress toward abolishing this practice and how other states can follow suit.

Winsome Earle-Sears: Senate Tie-Breaker

Posted on July 7, 2025 - 10:47 am by


Since her inauguration in January 2022, Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has held the constitutional duty to break ties in the narrowly divided Virginia Senate, where Democrats control the chamber by a slim margin. Tie-breaking votes during her tenure have uniformly aligned with the Republican caucus’s positions, including instances where Senate Democrats engineered tie votes to force her to go on record against popular policies. Overall, her interventions in tie votes have consistently bolstered conservative priorities on social policy and legislative governance. Here is a selection of some bills on which Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears has cast tie-breaking votes.

 

2022 Session

Voted against SB 137 (McPike) – Would have allowed defendants to appeal a judge’s discretionary sentence if there was no written explanation that adequately explained the sentence imposed.

 

2023 Session

Voted against SB 1379 (Deeds) – Would have waived sovereign immunity from jail medical professionals, allowing them to be held accountable for wrongful death or injury of prisoners in their care.

Voted for SB 1459 (McDougle) – Prohibited the use of TikTok on any state-owned devices, or devices connected to state internet services.

Voted against amendment to SJ 276 (Spruill), which would have removed a Glenn Youngkin appointee from the roster of UVA Board of Visitors appointees.

 

2024 Session

Voted against SB 643 (Aird) – Would have changed “failure to appear” from a criminal offense to a civil violation, lessening the consequences for defendants who, for whatever reason, miss a required court appearance.

Voted against SB 712 (Marsden) – Would have made it illegal to release hunting dogs within 15 feet of a highway or right-of-way owned or maintained by the Department of Transportation.

 

2025 Session

Voted against SB 1105 (Hashmi) – Would have established a legal right to access and utilize contraception.

Blog: Pride Began as a Riot

Posted on July 1, 2025 - 7:01 am by

by Kierra Johnson

Pride Month 2025 was chaotic from beginning to end, and while it may appear that current protests have nothing in common with the LGBTQ community, anti-fascist uprisings were the catalyst that started what is now known as Gay Pride. During this joyous month, when we celebrate the strength, beauty, and humanity of Queer and Trans people, it is also important to connect Queer liberation to the uprisings that are growing across the nation. 

Marginalized communities have been demanding change in the relationship between police and their communities for decades, which is why protests against ICE during Pride month are very fitting. The Stonewall Riots, whose title has been decried by the Queer community who labeled it a “rebellion”, were a communal response to the police raid of a gay bar called Stonewall Inn in New York City. The rebellion which lasted for six days was a springboard for what is now known as Pride.  Although current protests in L.A. and other cities are pushing back against the presence of ICE, the two events share the same motive, which was/is to protect vulnerable communities from police overreach. 

It is also important to note that at the front of Queer liberation and anti-police movements, namely Stonewall, there have also been trans people, rebelling against oppressive forces. At this moment, when conservatives are also pushing anti-trans legislation and massive disinformation campaigns against Trans people, giving props to Trans people is mandatory. Forgetting to name those who have heavily contributed to liberation movements erases Trans identities at a time when Trans visibility is desperately needed to protect and normalize Trans people. 

Now, every year, people have come together to commemorate this uprising, and while it has a different look than the rebellion that began the movement, the pioneering spirit of those who fought back at the risk of losing their freedom and their lives remains with the LGBTQ+ community. The colors of the Pride flag is beautiful, along with all of the people who gather to celebrate the lives of Queer and Trans people, and the movement for LGBTQ+ liberation is nowhere near its end. As we continue to support those who are fighting for members of their communities, let’s also remember that the struggle to protect vulnerable identities is always connected to more than one community. Pride is here for us to tap into the energy of a decades-old movement for the safety that oppressed people deserve and all month long, that energy should be the power source of June’s fun events. Happy Pride!