The Virginia state Senate completed the first step to send a set of amendments on abortion and marriage before voters in next year’s elections. Lawmakers pushed forward a trio of amendments. The abortion amendment would enshrine a “fundamental right” to abortion,

The votes followed an emotional floor debate on abortion — and an unusual parliamentary tussle over whether the Democratic leader had violated the chamber’s decorum,

Lawmakers in the Virginia House of Delegates passed resolutions on Tuesday enshrining rights to abortion, voting and marriage equality in a critical step for Democrats hoping to amend the state’s constitution next year.

The Democrat-led Virginia Senate has voted to enshrine the right to an abortion and to vote in the state's constitution

Virginia’s Democratic-led Senate on Tuesday passed constitutional amendments on abortion and voting rights that were quickly lambasted by Republicans who could use the issues as the party tries to regain ground in November’s statewide elections.

The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to advance a trio of constitutional amendments to guarantee Virginians' right to abortion care, automatically restore voting rights to disenfranchised felons and remove an antiquated law banning same-sex marriage .