Virginia
Virginia General Assembly to debate abortion restrictions during 2023 legislative session
Virginia Normal Meeting to debate abortion restrictions throughout 2023 legislative session
The Virginia Normal Meeting started its annual legislative session on Wednesday with lawmakers pushing abortion restrictions on day one of many session. FOX 5’s Chief Authorized Correspondent Katie Barlow discusses the shakeup within the state’s Congress and what it means for Governor Glenn Youngkin’s hopes of passing a 15-week ban on abortion.
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Normal Meeting started its annual legislative session on Wednesday with lawmakers pushing abortion restrictions on day one of many session.
The session is the primary within the commonwealth for the reason that Supreme Court docket determined in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that established a nationwide proper to abortion.
Youngkin has mentioned he hopes to go a 15- or 20-week ban with exceptions for rape, incest and the lifetime of the mom. Such a invoice faces a troublesome path. It could have to clear a committee disproportionately stacked with Democrats, who’ve promised to vote down any abortion restrictions, earlier than advancing it to a ground vote, the place the chamber is extra carefully divided on the problem.
The prospects for brand new restrictions on abortion grew extra dim as Democrat Aaron Rouse claimed victory in a race for the Senate seat previously held by Republican Jen Kiggans, who was elected to Congress in November. The outcomes of the race are nonetheless unofficial, however Rouse’s opponent, Republican Kevin Adams, issued a press release Wednesday calling Rouse senator-elect. That provides Democrats within the Senate a 22-18 majority within the Senate.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers State of the Commonwealth Handle
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivered his State of the Commonwealth Handle outlining his Day Two Agenda for the commonwealth to Virginia’s Joint Meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Youngkin downplayed the impression the election outcomes might have on abortion restrictions.
“Doesn’t change any of our agenda in any respect,” he advised reporters.
A invoice launched Wednesday by Republican Del. Kathy Byron and Republican Sen. Stephen Newman would ban abortions after 15 weeks. Democrats, nonetheless, filed a decision that requires a constitutional modification to protect “the basic proper to reproductive freedom.”
Del. Charniele Herring, the lead patron of the modification, mentioned it could be according to present Virginia legislation, which permits abortions in the course of the first and second trimesters of being pregnant. Abortions after that point are allowed provided that three docs discover that continuation of the being pregnant would probably consequence within the dying of the girl or would irreparably impair the psychological or bodily well being of the girl.
“I believe it’s well-reasoned. It doesn’t go too far,” Herring mentioned.
Republican Home Speaker Todd Gilbert, who mentioned earlier this week that he’s uncertain that “something of substance” on abortion shall be handed by the Normal Meeting this session, criticized the proposed modification as “a unfettered method to abortion outright.”
“I believe they’re actually attempting to put down a marker, sadly, the marker is that they don’t favor any restrictions on abortion at any time, proper up till the second of start,” Gilbert mentioned. “This may take that notion and put it into the structure of Virginia.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.