Virginia GOP blocks gay marriage, voting rights proposals

By SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republicans in the Virginia House have defeated a measure that would have let voters decide whether to strip legally outdated language prohibiting gay marriage from the state Constitution. They also killed a measure to let voters weigh in on whether to automatically restore the voting rights of felons who have served their terms. A Republican-controlled subcommittee killed the resolutions Tuesday morning. They passed the General Assembly last year when Democrats controlled the Legislature and needed to pass a second time in order to go to voter referendums this fall. Similar measures are still alive in the Senate, but the House would need to reverse its position for them to succeed.