From the VA House Democratic Caucus:
Virginia House Republicans Vote Against Constitutional Amendment Protecting Abortion
Republicans bend over backwards to appease MAGA supporters, endangering women
RICHMOND, VA – Today, after spending all session trying to avoid voting on their extreme and dangerous abortion bills, Republicans were forced to show what we’ve always known to be true: they stand with the most extreme MAGA wing of their party in outlawing the right to choose. On February 15, House Democrats filed a rules change to force a vote on the Constitutional amendment protecting access to abortion here in Virginia. This session, Republican House leadership refused to have a vote on two abortion bans that members of their own Caucus filed: a 15 week abortion ban and a personhood bill.
Chair Charniele Herring, who filed the House version of the amendment, said today: “Women across the Commonwealth are rightly concerned in the wake of Dobbs, and they deserve to know that their rights are protected. The choice to have an abortion is a personal decision between a person who is pregnant and their doctors… not themselves, their doctors, and state legislators. This is about cementing the rights already laid out in Virginia code— nothing about this amendment is more extreme than that.”
Leader Don Scott said, “Today we gave House Republicans an opportunity to do the right thing – protect women’s freedom and health care. Their dismissal of the rights and voices of women is downright dangerous. Today’s vote should be a reminder to every Virginian about the gravity of this November’s election.”
“It’s alarming to see Republican lawmakers refuse to allow a vote on protecting women’s reproductive rights,” Delegate Marcus Simon, who filed the Rules Change, said. “By defeating my resolution, they are aligning themselves with the most radical faction of their party, which seeks to impose harsh restrictions on abortion and even criminalize miscarriages. This was a critical moment for Virginians to see where their representatives stand on this important issue. It’s time for these lawmakers to choose a side: will they stand up for the rights of women, or will they give in to the extremist views of the MAGA wing of their party? Virginians are watching closely, and their decision will have consequences for years to come.”
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