Three bills proposing a ban on abortions in the Commonwealth have been rejected by a Virginia Senate Subcommittee.
The Health Professions Subcommittee recommended that the full committee defeat the abortion bills when it convenes.
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Richmond Sen. Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat, released a statement on the news, stating that abortions should remain a fundamental right for all Virginians.
The bills that were discussed are as follows:
- Senate Bill 1385: Proposed a 15-week abortion ban
- Senate Bill 1483: Proposed a 24-week abortion ban
- Senate Bill 1284: Proposed a full abortion ban, except in the cases of rape, incest and life of the mother
McClellan, who was the Senate patron of the 2020 Reproductive Health Protection Act, released the following statement:
Today, the Senate of Virginia affirmed that decisions about whether and when to terminate a pregnancy should be between patients and their providers, not politicians. Abortion remains legal in Virginia, and we will continue to defend reproductive rights for all Virginians. We have made tremendous progress over the past 5 years, including becoming the first state in the South to expand abortion access to abortion care with the passage of the Reproductive Health Protection Act. Virginia will not turn back now. This session, we will continue to expand those protections, by advancing a constitutional amendment to guarantee reproductive freedom for generations to come.
Sen. Jennifer McClellan