Having received my Virginia absentee ballot today, I've filled out my candidate preferences and then I am asked to vote on two proposed Commonwealth Constitutional Amendments. The problem is, I am not residing in Virginia but rather overseas and I really don't know what these proposals are about. Or more precisely, what the consequences of my vote would be.
Perhaps someone with a better understanding of legislative writing could clarify what they mean to do and the progressive thing to do either yes or no. Too often proposals are written as common sense but have very evil affects (i.e. common sense proposal: "there should be no fraud in voting, duh" - effect: disenfranchised minority, elderly, and disabled citizens.") So I don't want to mistakenly vote for something evil that sounds ok, especially when I am not that informed on the issue. The proposals are below.
1) Shall Section 11 of Article I (Bill of Rights) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended (i) to require that eminent domain only be exercised where the property taken or damaged is for public use and , except for utilities or the elimination of a public nuisance, not where the primary use is for private gain, private benefit, private enterprise, increasing jobs, increasing tax revenue, or economic development; (ii) to define what is included in just compensation for such taking or damaging of property; and (iii) to prohibit the taking or damaging of more private property than is necessary for the public use?
2) Shall Section 6 of Article IV (Legislature) of the Constitution of Virginia concerning legislative sessions be amended to allow the General Assembly to delay by no more than one week the fixed starting date for the reconvened or "veto" session when the General Assembly meets after a session to consider the bills returned to it by the Governor with vetoes or amendments?
I really can't tell what a yes or no vote would mean, but I am interested in finding out from greater minds than I what the progressive course of action would be.
Thank you fellow Kossacks for your time, consideration, and advice
JD
UPDATE
Thanks everyone for your advice and input. I'm very proud to put my vote in the mail today for Presdident Obama and Vice President Biden, I held my nose for Tim Kaine and hopefully we will get John Douglas into VA05, I did my part to help do that.
I also followed the advioce of the VA Democratic Party: No on 1 and Yes on 2
Again, thanks everyone for the assistance
Cheers,
JD