Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently took action on a series of measures in the Virginia General Assembly related to reproductive health, and similar issues have muddied the national debate, with other states passing laws restricting women. In the midst of this, he blocked most bills aimed at preserving public access to abortion and contraception. Increase bodily autonomy and roll back decades of abortion protections.
First, a surprising admission: Youngkin, a Republican. signed the bill From Rep. Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax, it would prevent electronic menstrual data (often collected through digital menstrual tracking apps) from being subject to search warrants, subpoenas, or court orders. Watts said in her Wednesday phone interview that her bill is a “precautionary measure” that is justified given the country's social climate.
The 1864 abortion ban is a feature, not a bug, of the Republican attack on reproductive rights.
Referring to the state's recent decision to uphold a 160-year-old law banning virtually all abortions and denying abortions, Watts said, “We just authorized a law that goes back to the 1800s to nullify the law.” A 2022 law allowing abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. When the newly recreated antebellum-era laws were first enacted, Arizona wasn't a state, women couldn't vote, and slavery was an ongoing American tradition.
Arizona's near-total abortion ban comes as access to abortion has become increasingly restricted since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, removing constitutional protections for abortion. This is the latest example. need To protect women's lives and health.
My surprise that Youngkin gave Watts' bill the green light is not based on the bill's common-sense merits. Protecting individuals' personal health information should be the norm for nations that respect their citizens. And it's downright creepy to imagine judges and law enforcement officials in Virginia scrutinizing the dates and duration of people's periods.
Youngkin's push for that bill while vetoing several other reproductive health measures struck me as an unexpected mixed message about abortion in Virginia. defender And Watts.
“I am amazed at the recognition of the importance of privacy as a fundamental human right,” Watts said of Youngkin signing the bill. To be respected. ”
As Texans fight for life-saving abortions, don't take our reproductive rights for granted, Virginia.
Which relevant bills has the governor vetoed or changed?
he shot down invoice Pushed by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington), it allows people who come to Virginia for abortions from other states where the procedure is illegal to face related criminal charges in their home state. This is to prevent them from being handed over if they receive it. The bill's extradition protections would also extend to doctors and health care workers who performed or assisted in Virginia abortions on out-of-state patients.
“By vetoing this bill, the Governor has refused to provide the layer of protection he believes is necessary to ensure that Virginia medical professionals can provide abortion care without fear of prosecution. ” Favola said. Posted Doctors and women seeking abortions in the state “deserve the peace of mind this bill will provide,” she added.
invoice From Rep. Candy Mandon King, D-Dumfries, and Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, A provision that was supposed to protect health care providers who provide abortion care from disciplinary action by medical boards also fell into Yonkin's ax.
he said “no” invoice Democratic state Rep. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, would require businesses with 50 or more employees to provide workers with up to 10 days of unpaid bereavement leave after the death of a family member, but importantly, would require “reproductive leave” after a miscarriage. The same applies if the “technical” treatment fails. such as after in vitro fertilization, stillbirth, or a medical diagnosis that “adversely affects pregnancy or fertility.”
a invoice Reporter Marcia Price, D-Newport News Establishing a right to access and use birth control regardless of the requirements of the U.S. Constitution, like Watts' bill, would shield reproductive health care from possible future federal regulations. It was an effort to protect them. .Yonkin Modified, weakened the bill by presupposing Virginia's right to contraceptives on landmark constitutional contraceptive protections that, like Roe, could be overturned. Against Wade. In doing so, he immediately extracted his tooth.
Yongkin did not completely reject it. measurement Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi, D-Richmond, called for requiring insurance companies to cover contraception. He amended the provision by adding a loophole that would allow insurance companies to be exempt based on religious or ethical beliefs.
religious beliefs Ideas about the sanctity of life given by God are the cornerstone of the American anti-abortion movement. Use your religious beliefs to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Slaveholders used religious beliefs to condone owning humans. read a bible verse About servants who follow their masters to enslave black people.
The problem with the governor adding a religious belief exemption to the Hashmi bill is that historically and currently, religious beliefs have been used by some people to excuse their bad behavior, spread bigotry, and threaten the lives of others. It has become a convenient tool for enforcing their own policies at the expense of the US. , freedom and happiness.
Alabama mother had to come to Virginia for abortion despite her home state's lethal exception
Virginia was the last Southern state to maintain access to abortion without new restrictions after Roe's reversal. Our commonwealth is now a sanctuary of last resort for people who cannot access desperately needed abortion care where they live. As the reproductive health culture war rages on, it is imperative that Virginia's laws reflect what its citizens need and want: laws that support health and ensure the best quality of life possible.
Shortly after destroying most abortion bills and diluting them in order to solidify contraception as a human right, Yonkin began promoting his cause. Supplementary budget as a means for state legislators and their constituents to reach “common ground.” But by rejecting the Legislature's reproductive health package, the governor will be rejecting the rights and will of many Virginians and contributing to deepening the political and cultural divide that is tearing our nation apart.
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