Pro-choice groups deliver petitions to Gov. McDonnell

RICHMOND

Pro-choice activists delivered petitions with 33,300 signatures to Gov. Bob McDonnell this morning, demanding that he veto any bills that reach his desk restricting abortion rights.

A combination of groups, including NARAL Pro Choice America and Planned Parenthood, displayed the petitions at a press conference at the General Assembly Building prior to carrying them to the governor’s office.

Republican efforts to mandate that women have an ultrasound before having an abortion and declare a fertilized egg a person at the moment of conception have drawn scorn from left-leaning television shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which lampooned two House members Tuesday night.

The ultrasound bill would require most women to have a probe inserted into their vagina, some experts say.

Saturday Night Live and the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC have also made fun of Republican efforts to restrict abortion. The Maddow show recently displayed a vaginal probe with “I can see the White House from here” printed on the side.

McDonnell is considered a candidate for the GOP vice-presidential nomination.
 
Former Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, said during a telephone news conference called to address the abortion issue at the General Assembly that the GOP has provided "fodder for late night comedy shows and has turned Virginia into a laughing stock."

Republicans have accused Democrats of distorting the bill to whip up emotions and score political points. Nearly all women who have abortions in Virginia already have an ultrasound, Del. Kathy J. Byron, R-Campbell County said on Tuesday. A vaginal probe is medically necessary for ultrasounds for women in the early weeks of pregnancy.

Byron said most abortion clinics, including those run by Planned Parenthood, require an ultrasound before an abortion is performed.

A Planned Parenthood spokeswomen confirmed on Tuesday that women are asked to undergo an ultrasound to determine the age of the fetus. However, if a woman refuses, a decision on whether she has an abortion is made jointly by her and her doctor.

“There’s so much misinformation out there,” Byron said. “What the bill does is codify” what already happens prior to most abortions.

A House of Delegates vote is slated for this afternoon on SB484, the ultrasound bill introduced by Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier County. Sources who asked not to be identified said they expect Republicans may try to amend the bill to make ultrasounds elective rather than mandatory.

Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico County, said making ultrasounds optional won’t satisfy Democrats. “There is no version of this bill that we will accept.”

McDonnell, who previously said he would sign an ultrasound bill, said through a spokesman Tuesday that he needs to see the final version of the bill before making a decision.

Anna Scholl, executive director of ProgressVA, an advocacy group for progressive issues, introduced two speakers at a news conference – Dr. Wendy Klein, former director of women’s health at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia, and Vicki Yeroian, a junior at VCU.

Klein mentioned the experiences of four women who were adversely affected by laws similar to the personhood bill, HB1, sponsored by Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William County.

She said the purpose of the ultrasound bill was to show women that there is a fetus inside their womb. “Excuse me, but don’t you think that’s why a woman is seeking an abortion to begin with?” she asked.

Marshall’s personhood bill could outlaw birth control pills, which can prevent the implantation of fertilized eggs, Yerion said. “As a woman and college student, I no longer feel safe in this state,” she said.