From the VA Senate Democratic Caucus:
ICYMI: Senate Democrats Join Planned Parenthood Advocates Of Virginia To Discuss The Future Of Abortion Rights In Virginia |
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In the wake of recent abortion bans being passed in North and South Carolina, Virginia Senate Democrats held a press call with Parenthood Advocates Of Virginia to discuss the impact of these new restrictions on Virginians and the stakes for reproductive freedom in the upcoming General Assembly elections. A full recording of the press call can be found here “Republicans have not been shy about their plans to end Virginians’ freedom to make their own health care decisions. Republican candidates for the General Assembly this year have promised to completely defund Planned Parenthood and ban abortions with no exceptions to protect the health of the mother or for victims of rape and incest…The fundamental freedom to make your own health care decisions is at stake in this year’s elections,” said Virginia Senate Caucus Chair Mamie Locke. “We’ve seen what has happened over the past year since Dobbs. Republican state legislatures across this country have passed dangerous new abortion bans that will make it harder for women to get the care they need…This past year we saw Republicans in the General Assembly try to pass various bills restricting abortion access. But as promised, we defeated all of those bills,” said Senator Louise Lucas. “We’ve seen the consequences of these extreme abortion bans in other states. Women have been forced to give birth even when it puts their lives at risk or their pregnancies are nonviable…I can tell you personally as someone who nearly died in my own pregnancy giving birth, I can say that the stakes are just too high…Democrats have made tremendous progress recently expanding our access to health care and making our commonwealth a safer place to live and raise a family. A ban on abortion would take us backwards,” said Senator Jennifer Boysko “Virginia is the number one battleground this year when it comes to protecting abortion rights…The Republicans need only to flip a few Senate seats to get a legislative trifecta that will give them the power to enact extreme abortion bans…The only way to stop the GOP’s agenda from becoming law is to help us protect and expand our pro-choice Democratic majority in the Senate,” said Senator George Barker “Senate Democrats are the only people and have been the only people standing between Virginians and an abortion ban similar to the ones we’ve seen in neighboring states like North Carolina. Like North Carolina was, we know that we are only one election away from banning access to abortion,” said Senator Creigh Deeds. “As of today, abortion is still safe and legal here in the commonwealth of Virginia, in North Carolina, and in South Carolina. But make no mistake, abortion access is being devastated across the South and Virginians are at risk of losing the right to reproductive freedom…Abortion is on the ballot in 2023. Virginians need their elected officials to fight like hell to protect safe, legal abortion. They don’t need senators who would help Governor Youngkin enact his dangerous anti-abortion agenda,” said Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart. |
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