Others wanted the criminal penalties for physicians restored. Some Republicans wanted a blanket ban on abortion. Some who said they supported the bill also indicated they weren’t happy with it. The bill also provides other exceptions for an ectopic pregnancy, a “nonmedically viable fetus” or a medical emergency that could kill or cause a substantial and irreversible injury.Ī dozen of the 34 senators gave impassioned speeches before the 21-10 vote. The measure allows exemptions for victims of rape and incest up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. The House version requires law enforcement to be directly contacted. He also said West Virginia already has problems retaining medical professionals, and if the criminal penalties are retained it could have a chilling effect on the practice.Īnother approved amendment offered by Greenbrier County Democrat Stephen Baldwin would allow a minor to report a rape to someone covered as a “mandated reporter,” such as a pastor or school counselor, who would be required to report the case to authorities.
#My life privacy pro license
Takubo said the bill already would subject a physician to the difficult loss of their license for performing an illegal abortion. The Senate approved an amendment sponsored by a physician, Kanawha County Republican Tom Takubo, that removes criminal penalties of three to 10 years upon conviction for any medical provider who performs an abortion. The West Virginia bill, which some lawmakers have complained was not vetted by any Senate committees, would ban abortions except in case of rape or incest. A final vote there is expected Saturday on the bill, which includes exceptions for rape and incest. Tension over the question gripped the Indiana Senate in a session that began Thursday and finally wrapped up after midnight. The high-profile example of a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio, a state without an exception for rape in its abortion restrictions, who traveled to Indiana for an abortion has amplified the debate. Asa Hutchinson would prefer to add them to the ban that's already in effect, but he has balked at asking lawmakers to address the issue in a special session.
In South Carolina, a ban without the exceptions has been introduced. Wade decision could be enforced now.Īs in other states dominated by socially conservative lawmakers, there's not much question about whether abortion will be banned generally now that states have the power to do so - but whether the ban will apply to pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Several GOP-led states had “trigger” abortion bans in place in advance of the court ruling, but West Virginia lawmakers are taking action because of legal uncertainty over whether a ban from the 1800s that was upended by the 1973 Roe v. Late Friday night the House of Delegates, which passed its bill Wednesday, refused to concur with the Senate amendments, instead asking for a conference committee to iron out differences among the bills.īoth chambers then adjourned until they are called back sometime next month. The Republican-dominated Senate adopted its version of a bill along with amendments, one of which removes criminal penalties for physicians who perform illegal abortions. Supreme Court’s ruling last month removing its protected status as a constitutional right. West Virginia lawmakers passed up the chance Friday to become the first state to approve new legislation restricting access to abortions since the U.S.