Virginia Senate Kills “Personhood” Bill

February 23, 2012

Comments

One day after Governor Bob McDonnell requested changes to Virginia’s controversial bill requiring ultrasounds before an abortion, the Virginia Senate has effectively killed a bill that would have given legal rights to fertilized eggs:

In a stunning turn of events, the Virginia Senate has voted 24-14 to scuttle a bill that would have given fertilized eggs the same legal rights as people.

Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, proposed that House Bill 1, which had passed the Senate Education and Health Committee earlier today on an 8-7 party line vote, be sent back to the committee and carried over to the 2013 legislative session for further discussion and deliberation.

Then Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, the Republican leader of the Senate, rose to support the motion, saying that the issues raised by the bill are more complex and far-reaching than previously thought and merit further study.

The vote effectively kills the bill for the year.

If not longer. Next year is an election year in Virginia, not just for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General, but also for the legislature. It seems unlikely that Republicans would be willing to put this issue back out there right before an election given how unpopular it has become.

9 responses to “Virginia Senate Kills “Personhood” Bill”

John Peabody

February 23, 2012 at 3:56 pm

Huzzah!
Brummagem Joe

February 23, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Running for the hills as predicted.
DRS

February 23, 2012 at 6:53 pm

So they’ve done a Komen – got their opponents riled up, then turned around and cheesed off their own side for wimping out. Makes you wonder if Romney’s campaign staff are moonlighting.
Neil Hudelson

February 23, 2012 at 8:36 pm

Virginia?
Just ‘nutha ig’rant cracker

February 23, 2012 at 9:42 pm

@Neil Hudelson: It’s not any more clever from you than from Tsar.
JohnMcC

February 23, 2012 at 10:53 pm

Just the observation that IF one sincerely believes that a zygote = person, the potential loss of an election would have very litlle significance. If these legislators are actually believe what they say they are an amazingly craven and spineless lot.
Neil Hudelson

February 24, 2012 at 8:23 am

@Just ‘nutha ig’rant cracker:

I’m hoping it shows Tsar how stupid it is. It never crossed my mind that it was actually funny.
R Etters

February 25, 2012 at 12:08 pm

Va. Republican Leaders Kill Personhood Bill: Republican Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, with the cooperation of other Va. Republican Leaders, sabotaged the key Va. personhood bill, HB 1, on Thursday, February 23, 2012.

This important bill had already been passed overwhelmingly in the House of Delegates (66-23), had been approved by the assigned Va. Senate committee, and was poised for prompt approval in the full Senate when the Republican leadership suddenly pulled their support.

It certainly appears to me that Del. Bob Marshall is correct – that this reversal of support was done with the consent of Gov. Bob McDonnell. The facts tell me that the reversal was done solely for crass political purposes, such as to promote Gov. McDonnell’s political ambitions on garnering the 2012 Republican nomination for Vice President.

Our Va. political leaders, including the Republican leaders who control the Va. Senate, simply put their political ambitions ahead of their duty to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Of course, the Senate Democrats continued their predictable implacable anti-life stance and voted to kill the bill en mass. Most of the Senate Republicans continued their support for the personhood bill despite the sabotage by the Va. Republican leadership.
An Interested Party

February 25, 2012 at 2:38 pm

The facts tell me that the reversal was done solely for crass political purposes, such as to promote Gov. McDonnell’s political ambitions on garnering the 2012 Republican nomination for Vice President.

Yet another GOP false prophet…what a shame…