United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) opposes elimination of the tax-exempt status of any non-profit organization in any state, including Virginia, and deems Virginia House Bill 1699 unnecessary and divisive.
The passage of the bill would affect the non-profit organization founded in 1894; the UDC’s Richmond headquarters of nearly 12,000 members, the approximately 500 yearly visitors to UDC headquarters; and the organization’s employees who are residents and voters in Virginia.
“As UDC President General, I was prohibited from virtually attending and providing comments to the Virginia House of Delegates Finance Committee meeting on Jan. 20, prior to the vote that advances the bill to the legislature,” said Julie Hardaway.
In 2024, a similar measure was passed by both chambers of the Virginia legislature but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Hardaway provided several reasons the bill should be opposed, including:
HB1699 is viewpoint discrimination considering the other organizations given protection under Article X, Section 6 (a)(6) of the Constitution of Virginia and further under Sections 58.1-3607 and 58.1-3651.
• UDC is tax exempt under the Virginia constitution as “property used by its owner for religious, charitable, patriotic, historical, benevolent, cultural, or public park and playground purposes” (Article X, Section 6 (a) 6).
• Passage of this ex post facto bill opens the door for other valuable historical museums to lose tax exempt status and legal action.
HB1699 strips the UDC of a tax exemption that the Virginia legislature granted in 1950 on property the Commonwealth deeded to the nonprofit. It is unfair and discriminatory to the descendants of soldiers who responded to the legislature’s call in 1861 to defend their state.
“For these reasons, the UDC strongly opposes Virginia House Bill 1699 and believes that Confederate organizations have been targeted with a bill aimed at organizations the party in power deems unworthy,” Hardaway said.
About the UDC and its Impact in Virginia and the U.S.
The UDC is a national service organization for women with nearly 12,000 members, 1,700 of whom live in Virginia.
Our national headquarters are in Richmond, Virginia, and its historic building is visited by approximately 500 guests/visitors every year. The UDC staff of four employees live and vote in the greater Richmond area.
We are the female descendants of soldiers, sailors and government officials who fought in the War Between the States (1861-65) for their states, homes and families. Their histories and efforts are not to be forgotten and are acknowledged with reverence and honor for coming to the aid of their states and doing their duty much like Vietnam veterans did, even when they did not agree with their government’s policies.
UDC was founded in 1894 to care for these veterans and their families who were left destitute by the devastation. We continue to honor, remember and educate others about this historic war. The UDC’s work to memorialize soldiers who fought and died became the U. S. holiday Memorial Day in which we honor all who died for our country every year on the last Monday of May.
The soldiers who fought in the war were diverse just like the make-up of the United States’ population in the mid-1800s. The United Daughters of the Confederacy strongly denounces any individual or group that promotes racial divisiveness. We condemn hate groups that use our flag and symbols for reprehensible purposes.
The community service project contributions of time, dollars and donations that UDC members made in 2023 alone, include:
• $11,945 in Educational Scholarships awarded to Virginia high school students and $136,745 nationwide
• 389,903 hours of time worth nearly $1 million given to the American Red Cross, USOs, Meals on Wheels, domestic violence shelters, VA Medical Centers, disaster relief centers, and homeless shelters, to name a few.
• $2 million donated to churches, historical organizations, soup kitchens, food banks, Wreaths Across America, Indian Youth of America, foreign missions, and restoration of our Memorial Building to the Women of the Confederacy in Richmond.