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

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.

There were tears, yells and a call of “out of order” but by the end of the day Virginia’s Senate on Tuesday passed three resolutions aimed at enshrining certain civil rights into the state’s constitution.

With contraception rights under scrutiny nationwide, Virginia Democrats are doubling down on efforts to safeguard access, even as they brace for potential pushback from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

RICHMOND, Va. (CN) — 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 .

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,

Virginia Democrats are hoping to pass a bill to make abortion more accessible in the third trimester under specific situations.

The resolution has a long way to go before it can become part of the state's constitution. However, House Republicans said it already violates state law.

"Through the Virginia Catholic Conference email advocacy network," Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Knestout said Jan. 21, "thousands of Catholics across Virginia sent messages to their legislators asking them to vote against the abortion expansion and marriage redefinition measures, and in favor of restoring voting rights."

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.

Abortion policy could see more changes across the U.S. as President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term and state legislative sessions get rolling