World News Korner

West Virginia Governor vetoes 20 week abortion ban. Rightfully labels it unconstitutional.

Courtesy of Think Progress:

Late on Friday, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) vetoed House Bill 4588, a measure that would have outlawed abortions after 20 weeks in West Virginia. In a statement regarding his decision, the governor explained that the abortion ban would be a “detriment of the health and safety of expectant mothers,” and noted that it violates the constitution.

“I believe there is no greater gift of love than the gift of life,” Gov. Tomblin said. “However, I have vetoed HB 4588 because I am advised, by not only attorneys from the legislature, but through my own legal team that this bill is unconstitutional.”

Under Roe v. Wade, abortion is legal up until the point of viability, which typically occurs around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Twenty-week bans — also often called “fetal pain bans,” since they’re based on the scientifically disputed theory that fetuses can feel pain after that point — seek to narrow that window. It’s an effective method of gradually chipping away at women’s reproductive rights.

Abortion opponents have furthered this incremental strategy in states across the country, capitalizing on the emotional outrage about later abortion procedures to enact 20-week bans in nine states. West Virginia would have represented a particularly significant milestone in this push to limit abortion access. If Tomblin hadn’t vetoed HB 4588, it would have been the first 20-week ban to become law in a Democratic-controlled state — ultimately, allowing the anti-choice community to construe this policy as moderate by pointing to bipartisan support for fetal pain restrictions.

Whew! Really dodged a bullet with that one!

In 2013 twenty two states enacted a total of seventy abortion restrictions, and there are no indications that these attacks on Roe vs Wade are going to stop anytime soon.

This is yet ANOTHER reason why Democrats in local elections need to get out the vote and work to elect politicians who respect a woman's right to choose.

If the demographic predictions are accurate than time is on our side, however until then we have to fight to preserve the rights that so many fought so hard to attain.

Source