Virginia Democrats defeat abortion restriction bills in committee
Abigail Adcox
Video Embed
A Democratic-led Virginia Senate panel shot down several anti-abortion bills on Thursday, including a measure backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to restrict access to abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The Senate Committee on Education and Health voted down three separate proposals by Republican state senators that would have placed additional restrictions on abortion, preventing them from advancing to the Senate floor.
DEMOCRATIC WIN IN VIRGINIA COMPLICATES PATH FOR YOUNGKIN’S 15-WEEK ABORTION BILL
“Despite Gov. Youngkin and his allies’ relentless efforts to undermine our health and rights, today we reaffirmed that there is no place for abortion bans in Virginia,” said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, in a statement after the vote.
State Sen. Steve Newman’s proposal aimed to restrict access to abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest, or a threat to the life of the mother. Two other proposals would have banned abortion from the moment of conception, and another would have prohibited procedures “during the second trimester of pregnancy and prior to viability.”
Last week, the Senate Health Professions Subcommittee recommended against the 15-week measure, with one Republican state senator joining the opposition. State Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, who introduced the viability abortion bill, said she disagreed with excluding her amendment that would have allowed exceptions for fetuses with abnormalities up to 24 weeks of pregnancy on the 15-week legislation.
Del. Kathy Byron introduced a similar 15-week bill in the House of Delegates, but it has yet to receive a committee assignment.
Youngkin tapped several Virginia lawmakers to craft legislation to restrict abortion access last June after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“When it comes to unborn children, we can come together. We can choose life and choose to support mothers, fathers, and families in difficult decisions,” Youngkin said in his State of the Commonwealth address this month.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert told reporters earlier this month that he would be “very surprised” if anti-abortion legislation moved forward because the state Senate has a Democratic majority.
Abortion is currently legal in Virginia up through the second trimester, typically around 27 weeks, and into the third if three doctors conclude the mother’s life is at risk.