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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (right) said he would seek to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, moving quickly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Friday overturning the constitutional right to abortion.
Youngkin asked four Virginia lawmakers – all Republicans against abortion – to draft legislation, and he said a 20-week break may be needed to draw more consensus in the divided Capitol. He said he supported the exceptions for rape, incest and cases where the mother’s life was in danger.
“Virginians really want fewer abortions as opposed to more abortions,” Youngkin said Friday morning during a meeting with reporters, editors and editors at The Washington Post, moments after the court’s decision was overturned. Rowe vs. Wade was announced. “I’m not someone who will jump in and try to separate us. There is a place where we can get together.”
Youngkin said he would like the abortion to be banned as soon as the fetus feels pain. He acknowledged that there was a consensus in Congress and elsewhere that the pain threshold existed at 20 weeks of pregnancy, but said he would prefer to pursue a 15-week law.
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Although he emphasized his personal opposition to abortion, Youngkin said he acknowledged that there was a range of beliefs in Virginia and acknowledged that 20 weeks could be a compromise. “I also represent all the Virginians,” he said. But he added: “I believe that the place we need to be able to get to is a 15-week pain threshold.
This would be similar to recent laws passed in Florida and Mississippi.
Abortion is legal in Virginia during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, a schedule that was in effect during the years of Republican and Democratic control in the General Assembly.
The procedure is allowed in the third trimester only if life or health is at serious risk, as confirmed by three doctors. Parental consent is required for minors who want to terminate a pregnancy. Public funding of abortions is allowed for low-income women only in cases of rape or incest, if life or health is endangered or if the fetus has “incapacitated” physical or mental disabilities.
Youngkin has asked two US senators and two delegates to work on the legislation. They are Senator Sioban Dunnavant (Henrico), an obstetrician; Senator Steve Newman (Bedford); Del. Cathy Byron (Lynchburg) and Dell. Margaret Ranson (R-Westmoreland).
In 2012, Byron sponsored a bill that, as originally proposed, would require most women seeking an abortion to have a vaginal ultrasound first. After a buzz around the invasive nature of the test, the bill was changed to require an ultrasound of the abdomen, which in most cases will not give an image, as most abortions are performed in early pregnancy when the fetus is too small to be detected. with this test. The bill became law, but was repealed, along with a number of other abortion restrictions, after Democrats took full control of Richmond in 2020.
Assuming that Yengin’s efforts could disappoint some conservatives who may want further restrictions, he said he was realistic about the political moment. Republicans control the House of Delegates, and Democrats control the Senate, and any legislation that will be considered by the General Assembly when it convenes in January will have to pass both houses.
“We have a process in Virginia to work through,” Youngkin said. “I’m the governor of life, I’m also very, very aware of Virginia. … The governor can’t do it alone. And this will require… work on the other side of the path. So we have to work for the next few months to find a place to land. ”
He compared this political reality to his efforts to spend a gas tax holiday, which has been repeatedly rejected by the state Senate. “I believe we should have a three-month gas tax holiday. And I can’t get the Senate to do it. And the bottom line is that one of the things I firmly believe the government needs to do is get results, and I need to get results, “Youngkin said.
The governor’s security details interrupted his scheduled 45-minute session with The Post’s editorial board after news of the Supreme Court ruling broke, throwing Youngkin about halfway. He said he needed to do work to help maintain order and security in Virginia as protests began to take shape against the court’s ruling.
“We will protect people’s rights to express dissatisfaction or support,” Youngkin said. “So, if people want to get together and protest or demonstrate, we will defend that right today. And we will also protect property. We will protect safety … We will have zero tolerance for violations. “
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