Virginia poised for abortion tourism as South Carolina moves toward ban
Breccan F. Thies
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With two Southern states moving this week to restrict abortion, Virginia may soon become the only state in the region to allow unrestricted access.
South Carolina is on its way to passing a heartbeat bill, banning abortion at about six weeks, following a move by North Carolina to enact a 12-week ban after a bitter political fight that led to a veto override.
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As both Carolinas remove themselves from the abortion access map, neighboring Virginia is expected to see a spike in abortion as the Old Dominion’s Democratic-controlled Senate has blocked every attempt to restrict the procedure.
While Republicans control the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, as well as the House of Delegates, Democrats control the Senate. This year is an election year for the chambers, both of which hold narrow majorities, and abortion is becoming the top issue for both parties to sweep the General Assembly.
A sweep in either direction would indicate a political shift ahead of the 2024 presidential vote in the state that President Joe Biden seeks to win again.
Republican majorities would give Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) the ability to pass his 15-week ban that failed in the Senate in January. However, a Democratic Party sweep would give the pro-abortion rights party more padding as at least one state Senate Democrat, Sen. Joe Morrissey, is more anti-abortion.
“As long as Democrats remain in control in the Senate, abortion will remain legal in Virginia,” Democratic state Sen. Lamont Bagby told the Washington Examiner. “But make no mistake — we’re two seats away from Gov. Youngkin passing his own abortion ban right here in the commonwealth. He’s been clear about his intentions, and I’ll do everything in my power to stop him.”
The Old Dominion has unrestricted access to abortion in the first and second trimesters, and Republicans in Virginia are concerned that developments in the Carolinas will trap the commonwealth as an abortion tourism destination from other Southern states. Democrats, on the other hand, are cheering the development.
“If Democrats gain control of the House of Delegates and keep the state Senate, Virginia will remain a vital outlet for women across the South to seek the reproductive care they seek,” Democratic Del. Mark Sickles said on Facebook.
Republicans believe the Democrats’ support for tourism will expose them as “extreme.”
“It is disappointing that Democrats in Virginia are so extreme that they favor Virginia being a destination state for unrestricted abortions through all nine months of pregnancy,” GOP Del. Dave LaRock, who is running for state Senate, told the Washington Examiner. “Year after year, I’ve seen Virginia Democrats oppose reasonable laws that respect where most Americans and Virginians are on the abortion issue.”
Under the leadership of Democratic President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, the state Senate passed a resolution to make abortion a permanent right, which was defeated by the slim Republican majority in the House.
“The Virginia Democrats are so out of step with most of Virginia that not only are they embracing Virginia becoming an abortion destination for women from other states, it is very likely they will eventually be pushing for use of Virginians’ tax dollars to foot the bill,” LaRock said.
The pressure in Virginia comes after moves this week to restrict abortion in North Carolina and South Carolina.
The South Carolina House approved a bill that would ban abortion at about six weeks after Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) called the legislature back this week for a special session.
The bill is similar to one passed by the South Carolina Senate in February but was not taken up by the House, as the lower chamber pursued a near-total ban instead. After senators successfully filibustered the House bill in April, the Palmetto State retained its Roe v. Wade-era abortion regulations, allowing the procedure until around 20-24 weeks.
New restrictions seem more likely to become law since it is close to the original Senate version. The Senate is poised to take up the bill next week.
This Tuesday, the North Carolina legislature overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D-NC) veto of a 12-week abortion ban, enacting that restriction.
After the overturn of Roe, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were the final holdouts in the South for less restrictive abortion laws, the moves this week leave Virginia standing alone.
As the Washington Examiner reported, while post-Roe abortion restrictions lowered the rate of abortion in the United States overall, there were consequences in states that were not as quick to enact restrictions as their neighbors.
The phenomenon was most pronounced in the South, with both Carolinas seeing spikes due to North Carolina’s comparatively more relaxed restrictions and a South Carolina Supreme Court decision voiding their original heartbeat bill and subsequent failed attempts to pass restrictions.
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Florida also saw a spike after its 15-week ban was still more permissive than the bans of its neighbors. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) recently signed a heartbeat bill that is likely to take effect after a state Supreme Court decision.
If the trend holds, Virginia would be poised to see a significant increase in abortions from out-of-state residents.