Tag Archive for "Virginia"

Posts Tagged Virginia

Quote of the Day: Virginia lawmaker says a pregnant woman is just a “child’s host”

In response to a Valentine’s Day card from reproductive rights advocates asking him to protect reproductive health care, Virginia state senator Steve Martin took to Facebook to expand on his anti-choice views. Via the Huffington Post:

“I don’t expect to be in the room or will I do anything to prevent you from obtaining a contraceptive. However, once a child does exist in your womb, I’m not going to assume a right to kill it just because the child’s host (some refer to them as mothers) doesn’t want it.”

As Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, notes, “His remarks demonstrate what exactly these extreme lawmakers mean when they talk about ‘personhood’ – that pregnant women are no more than vessels.”

I mean, ...

“I don’t ...

By Alexandra Brodsky • 11 years ago

Quick Hit: Thank black voters, not the “gender gap”

Zerlina has a great piece at the Nation about why we should credit black voters, not a monolithic women’s block, for Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s victory over right-winger Ken Cuccinelli for the Virginia governorship.

By Sesali B. • 11 years ago

VA and NJ Governor elections offer mixed bag for reproductive rights

While proponents of access to reproductive health services can rejoice in Virginia with Terry McAuliffe’s victory over Ken Cuccinelli to become the state’s new governor, New Jersey residents are stuck with Governor Chris Christie.

East coast political junkies, organizers, campaigners, and other people with high stakes in their state elections have found themselves knee deep in GOTV work for the past couple of weeks. I spent the past two days canvassing in Virginia on behalf of Terry McAuliffe, and I’m pleased to know that it was worth it. Although the numbers were pretty close, McAuliffe won the governor’s seat – saving Virginians from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, whose stance on women’s rights is

By Katie Halper • 12 years ago

This week in abortion news

Bad News: Alabama passed a bill which pretends to be about protecting women but is actually aimed at shutting down abortion clinics on Tuesday. The governor has said he will sign the bill, ironically called the “Women’s Health and Safety Act,” which requires that doctors preforming abortions be granted admitting privileges at local hospitals. Some of the doctors who perform abortions in Alabama are from out of state and thus aren’t affiliated with hospitals. The Alabama bill also requires that clinics meet standards of ambulatory surgery centers. Clinics would have to spend millions of dollars on unnecessary construction, equipment and supplies. These bills, which are less egregious and overtly anti-choice than the heartbeat bills passed in South Dakota ...

By Vanessa • 12 years ago

Friday vote on new TRAP law may decimate abortion access in Virginia

This is not good, y’all. Kate at Mother Jones gives us the details:

Under pressure from conservative politicians, the Virginia Board of Health voted Friday to reverse an earlier decision that would have protected the state’s existing abortion clinics from strict new regulations. All clinics that provide first-trimester abortions now have two years to modify their facilities to be more like full-scale hospitals. That means many of the clinics could be forced to either make expensive renovations or stop offering abortion services altogether. Often called “targeted regulation of abortion providers,” or “TRAP” laws, these rules focus specifically on abortion providers with the intent, reproductive rights advocates say, of making it extremely difficult for clinics to operate.

The board’s 13-to-2 flip-flop provoked ...

This is not good, y’all. Kate at Mother Jones gives us the details:

Under pressure from conservative politicians, the Virginia Board of Health voted Friday to reverse an earlier decision that would have protected the state’s ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 12 years ago

A pro-choice cover of “Call Me Maybe” takes on Virginia’s attempt to shut down its abortion clinics

I know, I know. You thought the “Call Me Maybe” cover trend was blessedly over. But I’m the only person in the world who actually isn’t sick of the song yet. And a group called Cooch Watch 2012 has an important message for Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli–which all anti-choice lawmakers could stand to hear.

“I’ve never met you and this is shady.” Indeed.

Cuccinelli has been nothing if not persistent in his attempt to shut down Virginia’s 23 abortion clinics. A few months ago the health board voted to exempt all of the existing clinics from onerous new TRAP regulations that could force most, if not all, of them to close. But Cuccinelli said the board didn’t go ...

By Samhita • 13 years ago

McDonnell signs Virginia ultrasound bill

Despite tremendous outcry, all over the internet and on the steps of the Virginia capital–woman-hater Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed the ultrasound bill in Virginia into law. If you are seeking an abortion in Virginia you are required to have an ultrasound. And they may have backed down from making a transvaginal ultrasound mandatory–but there are many reasons this bill is still a medically unnecessary, invasion of privacy.

What conservatives argue is necessary for women to have all the information (like they don’t know they are pregnant and if they don’t have an abortion they will have a child) to make an informed decision, we know is a tactic to shame women out of having abortions. Virginia is the ...

By Katie Halper • 13 years ago

Riot Police Arrest 31 Protestors against Forced Ultrasound

Photo via The Hook

Yesterday, riot police were sent in to handle a group of non-violent demonstrators protesting Virginia’s newly passed forced ultrasound bill. This kindler, gentler violation is over the belly and not through the vagina. Police arrested 31 people, some of whose trials started today. Here are some moving photos and video (via The Atlantic and Political Carnival) of the arrests.

Photo via The Hook