Lawmakers in Virginia have approved a constitutional amendment that would establish a right to abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, taking the first step in their push to ensure that it goes before voters by the end of the decade.

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,

The votes on these measures this past week are the first step to enshrining the measures in the state constitution.

Three amendments are one step closer in a long journey to being enshrined in the Virginia Constitution after passing the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate paved the way to enshrine abortion, marriage equality,

Members of the General Assembly are moving forward with three constitutional amendments proposed by Democrats.But they rejected an amendment supported by Republicans.

The Virginia House of Delegates passed three state constitutional amendments Tuesday that would enshrine in state law reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and automatic restoration of voting

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,

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.