Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has endorsed new legislation to ban abortions after 15 weeks.
Virginia could become the next state with a type of abortion ban in place as pro-life lawmakers this week introduced legislation to ban abortions after 15 weeks. The measure would stop all late and late-term abortions when unborn babies can definitely feel pain.
Now the bill has the governor’s support. During a speech to members of the Virginia legislature, Youngkin indicated he supports the bill.
“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. “It is clear Virginians want fewer abortions, not more.”
The measure should easily pass the Republican-controlled Assembly but it will have a more difficult time in the Democrat-run Senate, where Democrats just won a special election and secure another seat. Even with one pro-life Democrat voting for the bill, it will face an uphill battle.
Virginia Del. Kathy Byron (R-22) and Sen. Stephen Newman (R-23) introduced legislation to limit abortion after 15 weeks, a point by which science reveals unborn children can feel pain. The bill advances protections for the unborn at least by a point when they feel pain, with exceptions only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser praised the legislation in comments to LifeNews.
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“We thank our allies Del. Kathy Byron and Sen. Stephen Newman and Governor Youngkin for leading the fight to protect unborn children and mothers from brutal abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Babies in the womb are as human as we are. By 15 weeks they have fully formed organs, fingers and toes, and can feel excruciating pain. This compassionate bill would save as many as 500 lives a year and bring Virginia in line with the overwhelming consensus of Americans, almost two dozen states and counting, and 47 out of 50 European nations that limit abortion at 15 weeks or earlier,” she explained.
Dannenfelser added: “Virginians have elected pro-life leaders up and down the ballot and rejected the pro-abortion extremism of Democrats like Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam. Governor Youngkin is keeping his promise, and in the Dobbs era the voice of the people must continue to be heard in the Assembly. We are ready to fight to protect babies from the pain of abortion and lawmakers will have to tell the voters where they stand.”
Currently, 14 states are protecting babies from abortions following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with either full abortion bans or a heartbeat law. Florida and Arizona also have bans on abortions starting at 15 weeks, with pro-life legislators hoping to protect more babies in upcoming legislative sessions.
Polling conducted after the Dobbs Supreme Court decision found that: 1) 72% of Americans – including 75% of women, 70% of Independents and 60% of rank-and-file Democrats – believe there should be limits on abortion no later than 15 weeks of pregnancy and 2) only 10% of Americans agree with the Democratic Party platform of abortion on demand until birth.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, women’s health and pregnancy centers outnumber Planned Parenthood abortion centers 24 to one.
As LifeNews reported, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with a 6-3 majority ruling in the Dobbs case that “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion” — allowing states to ban abortions and protect unborn babies. The high court also ruled 6-3 uphold the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban so states can further limit abortions and to get rid of the false viability standard.
Chief Justice John Roberts technically voted for the judgment but, in his concurring opinion, disagreed with the reasoning and said he wanted to keep abortions legal but with a new standard.
“Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives,” Alito wrote.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” Alito wrote. “And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer authored a joint dissent condemning the decision as enabling states to enact “draconian” restrictions on women.
Polls show Americans are pro-life on abortion and a new national poll shows 75% of Americans essentially agree with the Supreme Court overturning Roe.
Despite false reports that abortion bans would prevent doctors from treating pregnant women for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, pro-life doctors confirm that is not the case. Some 35 states have laws making it clear that miscarriage is not abortion and every state with an abortion ban allows treatment for both.
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