Marshall 'personhood' bill draws ire of abortion rights advocate

Legislation to extend legal rights to fetuses isn't new in Virginia, but it may get more attention in the 2012 General Assembly session after Mississippi voters rejected a similar ballot proposal.

In fact, it looks like the idea has already raised eyebrows more than 45 days ahead of the session that starts in January.

Del. Bob Marshall, a Prince William County Republican and social conservative stalwart, has pre-filed a bill to give "unborn children at every stage of development . . . all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of the Commonwealth."

Similar bills were submitted earlier this year and last, though they didn't advance.

(Marshall has also filed legislation to require athletic coaches and some other sports officials to report instances of child abuse, measures that appear motivated by the sex abuse scandal at Penn State.)

Critics of such abortion control measures argue that they would outlaw abortion and could ban common forms of birth control.

"We have no doubt that this is just the beginning of an all-out series of legislative attacks on women’s freedom and privacy," NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia director Tarina Keene said of Marshall's bill.

That goal wasn't presented during the recent campaign "because voters were under the impression that creating jobs was the top priority," she added. "This agenda is out of touch with our commonwealth’s values and priorities -- and we will fight it every step of the way.”

-- Julian Walker

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