{"id":284478,"date":"2023-01-30T06:34:47","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T12:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=284478"},"modified":"2023-01-29T14:04:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-29T20:04:06","slug":"virginia-lawmakers-refuse-protections-preborn-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/virginia-lawmakers-refuse-protections-preborn-humans\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia lawmakers refuse to pass protections for preborn human beings"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Pro-abortion Virginia Senators defeated three pro-life bills on Thursday, each of which would have offered preborn protections at different stages of pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 1284<\/a> would have protected nearly all preborn children from abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. Senate Bill 1385<\/a> would have protected preborn children from abortion after 15 weeks gestation, and Senate Bill 1483<\/a> would have protected children after the time of “viability” \u2014 a loose term for that period of time when it is believed that a child can survive outside the womb. All three failed to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.<\/p>\n

Despite the Senate majority’s refusal to pass the bills protecting human beings prior to birth, recent polling shows that this is not in step with what most Americans want. A 2023 Knights of Columbus-Marist poll<\/a> revealed that nearly 70% of Americans oppose unrestricted abortion and would limit it to the first trimester or only to extremely rare cases. Forty-four percent of those polled believe abortion should be outlawed in nearly all<\/em> cases, except for the extremely rare circumstances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.<\/p>\n

\"Walgreens<\/a><\/p>\n

SB 1284 was sponsored by Sen. Travis Hackworth, who had promised after the overturn of Roe v. Wade<\/em> to sponsor such a bill. “No society can be deemed civil when it murders and discards its babies because they are deemed inconvenient,” he said<\/a> at the time. “I am proud to lead the efforts in the Virginia Senate to patron this important legislation that will protect life and ensure Virginia leads the way in providing a dignified and respected future for all Virginians – from conception to old age.\u201d<\/p>\n

SP 1385, the 15-week protection bill<\/a> had been a special priority for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who had given his support to the 15-week time period based on the assumption that preborn children can feel pain at that time. However, research has shown that preborn children can feel pain much earlier<\/a>. But regardless of whether or not they can feel pain, each child is a unique and distinct person worthy of life from the moment of conception. The ability to feel pain does not determine one’s membership in the human species.<\/p>\n