Virginia NARAL Wants Taxpayers for to Pay for Abortions on Disabled Babies
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 20, 2010
Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) — A battle is brewing in the Virginia state legislature over budget amendments proposed by pro-life Governor Bob McDonnell. Unhappy that McDonnell doesn’t want state money to pay for abortions, Virginia NARAL is calling on legislators to force taxpayers to pay for abortions on disabled babies.
Last week, McDonnell amended the FY 2011-12 state budget to prohibit taxpayer funding of most elective abortions for low-income residents.
That includes abortions in cases where the unborn child is merely disabled or has a condition such as Down syndrome.
Victoria Cobb of the Family Foundation has been urging pro-life advocates to tell their legislators to back the amendment.
"The Family Foundation and several of our pro-life partners in Richmond have been advocating for just such an amendment for several years. The amendment brings Virginia substantially in line with federal law," she said.
"To fully restrict Virginia to only those abortions required by federal law, Virginia will have to eliminate funding for abortions where physicians certify that the unborn child’s physical deformity or mental deficiency will be totally incapacitating," Cobb added.
That upsets the stalwart abortion advocates at Virginia NARAL.
The pro-abortion group called stopping taxpayers from having to pay for abortions on disabled babies a "dangerous amendment" and said "Governor McDonnell has failed to listen to the commonsense decision of the commonwealth’s legislators."
Instead, the group suggests the Virginia governor should support "a small, but significant group of women who seek abortion care due to fetal abnormality’ and it claimed McDonnell is attempting "to curb access to care for women."
Now, the General Assembly must accept the Governor’s amendment at Wednesday’s veto session.
During this year’s General Assembly session, a similar amendment was passed by the House of Delegates but was not voted on in the Senate. Pro-abortion Senate budget negotiators made sure it wasn’t included in the final budget.
Prior to McDonnell’s amendment, Virginia was one of only 17 states that funds elective “health” of the mother abortions. Since 2007, taxpayers have been forced to pay for 15 abortions on disabled children.
Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com
Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.
