The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Sharply polarized debate over abortion-related issues continued today in the Virginia House of Delegates, which passed a proposal to halt state-funded abortions for poor women in cases where the child is likely to be born with a gross, totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency.
The state spent less than $2,800 on 10 such abortions last year.
Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania County, the sponsor of HB 62, said the state should turn the job over to private charities instead of reaching into the pockets of taxpayers, some of whom oppose all abortions on moral grounds.
Several Democratic delegates voiced impassioned objections to the measure.
Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Henrico County, said he is pro-life, but “with this bill, the majority party has gone too far.”
The bill was approved on a 64-35 vote and now goes to the state Senate.
The vote followed an acerbic partisan exchange over the Republican majority’s broad socially conservative agenda.
House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said the legislature should be addressing such matters as education funding but instead is being distracted by divisive issues like abortion, guns and gays. “This is not what Virginians elected us to do,” he said.
Republicans countered that such issues are not their primary focus. Instead, they said, they are working to keep taxes low, balance the budget and toughen criminal penalties. “I’ve got to tell you, the campaign’s over,” Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said. “You had a political point to make. You’ve made it. Now let’s get to work for the citizens of the commonwealth.”
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
law maker says"We cannot afford to provide these abortions"
Just heard the 11 PM news. A Delegate made a point that abortions for "poor women" with impaired fetuses would be expensive and the vote was solely to save money. Hmm...I wonder if he is aware that the child can receive a disability payment from the moment he is born throughout his life. This equals many hundreds of thousands of dollars per person as it would be the living expenses, Medicaid, housing from birth to death for many years. The impaired might never be trained or educated to work..ever. I make this point because of the delegates "money saving" statement. I read that the 10 abortions performed last year under these circumstances equaled less than $3000.00. I don't think this has much to do with money saving, do you?
Of course not
They can't come up with any valid, non-theological objections, so they are grasping at straws to "justify" their position.
" Compassionate" Conservatives are such hypocrites
They are concerned from conception untill birth and then its dog eat dog, mother and child are on their own.
Republican religious zealots are rapidly becoming an embarrassment, not just to our state but to our country.
One more thing
"Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania County, the sponsor of HB 62, said the state should turn the job over to private charities instead of reaching into the pockets of taxpayers, some of whom oppose all abortions on moral grounds"
Perhaps Del. Cole can provide a list of "private charities" who will pay for the abortion?
By their own words
"House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, said the legislature should be addressing such matters as education funding but instead is being distracted by divisive issues like abortion, guns and gays. “This is not what Virginians elected us to do,” he said.
Republicans countered that such issues are not their "primary focus". In fact, they ARE demonstrating their primary focus which is sticking their noses into other folks bedrooms and doctor's offices. Where are these GOP types when folks will be subject to highway robbery on their way to work? Oh, yeah, they're giving obeisance to Grover Norquist and the religious fanatics who paid for their elections.
hmmm
let's see....do you want to fund schools or abortions? medicaid or abortions? roads or abortions?
this proposal doesn't ban the abortion it just doesn't ask taxpayers to foot the bill
If this is about money, then it is even more inane
"…gross, totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency."
These are children that will be born in a a short, painful and, for taxpayers, expensive life.
Like Midas ads used to say: "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
These are poor people who have found out that their child will be born, if not stillborn, with horrible circumstances.
Who do you think will pick up the tab for that?
If the state is on the hook for care after birth, then it is in the interest of the state to assist the funding for these women.
It is not that complicated.
Until ideology rears its ugly head.
State says no to abortions for fetal deformities
My Lord--back in the 1960s before abortions were legal, women could get them only in cases of gross fetal deformity, endangerment to the lives of the mother and rape or incest. At this point, such behavior looks progressive compared to that of the present pols. What was the old joke? A conservative saves money in front of women and children.
And putting the cost of care on houses of worship is heavy. How much money does anybody have these days of a lousy economy?
Coat hangers
Back in the 60s, before abortions were deemed protected, women who needed them used coat hangers or had them performed illegally in back-alley shops. That's what we will be reverting to.
I am a free woman, over the age of majority and I find the
"Laws" that these misogynistic pigs, who are attempting to pass for christian men, to be repugnant and contrary to the laws of this country. These alleged lawmakers are not members of my religion, and thus as an adult, self-supporting, free woman, I reject their evil hatred of women and their evil "christian" laws, and refuse to be governed by them.
Men have always said the worst thing that ever happened to this country was giving women the right to vote; my hope is that in the next election, all women in Virginia remember how much these "christian men" of Virginia despise them, merely based on their anatomy, and kick every last pig to the curb.
The lawmakers in Virginia, they're sharing one brain cell, and it's the stupid evil one.