Virginia

Virginia's homeschooled students should have the same opportunities to participate in public school sports as their peers, argued the head of a conservative legal group in support of the state's so-called "Tim Tebow Law."

John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, is urging the Virginia General Assembly to adopt House Bill 947. The law would give homeschooled students the chance to try out and participate for sports in the local public school system.

"This will give children who are athletically gifted a chance to pursue their dreams and possibly attain scholarships," Whitehead told The Christian Post. "In America, given the chance to succeed is all it takes, much like Tim Tebow has." more >>

The Virginia state Senate jumpstarted lawmakers' 2012 pro-life agenda Wednesday with the passage of an informed consent bill mandating abortion providers perform an ultrasound on a patient before conducting an abortion.

Supporting senators herald the 21-18 vote as victory for women because the ultrasound bill will ensure they receive more medical information prior to an abortion procedure.

Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, agreed in a statement on the NARAL website that women should have access to an ultrasound but said the state Senate bill forces it on women. more >>

The Virginia House Education Committee has passed the "Tim Tebow Bill," which would allow home-schooled children to play varsity sports for public schools, in a 14-8 vote Wednesday.

Bill HB 947, named for the Denver Broncos quarterback who was also home-schooled, looks to amend the Code of Virginia that prohibits "participation in public school interscholastic programs by nonpublic school students."

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has presented the bill as part of his education package. HB 947 is expected to pass the House floor, where Republicans hold two-thirds of the seats. more >>

Pastor Steve Reynolds of Capital Baptist Church in Annandale, Va., is offering parishioners who seek to lose weight a motivation that's higher than simply wanting to look good: honoring God.

"I want to show people – all types of people, especially Christian people – that we're made by God, but we're also made for God, and we need to honor him with our bodies," the pastor told TODAY.com.

Reynolds heads a weight loss competition program called "Bod4God" at Capital Baptist Church that has assisted members of his congregation in losing over 12,000 pounds since 2007, TODAY reported. Reynolds himself has lost a whopping 120 pounds with the program. more >>

Legislators in Virginia are working to pass a law that would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletic programs, just like Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow did when he was younger. Some are opposing the idea, however, saying such a law would give home-educated students an unfair advantage over other students.

Scott Woodruff, senior counsel with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), was recently called to the state's capital to testify regarding the issue.

He told The Christian Post on Tuesday that some homeschooling parents think it is unfair that their children can't participate in public school sports teams when they are spending thousands of dollars annually to support the public schools through taxes. more >>

Ken Cuccinelli, attorney general for Virginia, has now backed off a proposal to pass emergency legislation that would have given the presidential candidates who failed to get their names on the ballot for Virginia's primary election another opportunity. The move may have revealed some positioning for the 2013 Republican governor's race.

To get on the ballot in Virginia, candidates must get 10,000 signatures with at least 400 from each of Virginia's congressional districts. Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul met the requirements. Virginia has the strictest ballot requirements in the nation.

Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich thought they had qualified, but not all of the signatures they handed in were certified. Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum failed to turn in signatures by the deadline. more >>