A small group of West Virginia Democrats introduced a bill Monday to repeal every pro-life law in the state, including a ban on late-term abortions.
WTRF reports state Del. Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia, slammed the pro-life laws as racist during a news conference to announce the bill.
“These bans must stop,” Walker said, adding that restrictions on abortion are “a barrier to safe, affordable, accessible health care.”
Her legislation, state House Bill 4382, would repeal the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which prohibits late-term abortions after 20 weeks, and a law that protects newborns who survive abortions from infanticide. It also would repeal the ban on dismemberment abortions, the informed consent law, 24-hour waiting period, the ban on telemedicine abortions, and health and safety regulations for abortion facilities.
During the news conference, Walker mentioned that she had had an abortion. When a reporter asked her about it, however, she lashed out.
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Walker herself shared the exchange on Twitter, writing: “A reporter asked, ‘Why did you have an abortion?’ My response, ‘None of your business, you are the problem. Do you ask others why they are having penal implants or vasectomies?’ It’s a take back if [sic] Freedom and Choice! Patient doctor privilege is real!”
Other supporters of the pro-abortion bill include lead sponsor Del. Evan Hansen, D-Morgantown, and state Sen. Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, who plans to introduce a Senate version, The Blaze reports.
“The reason why we’re proposing this is because we believe that every person deserves access to high quality and affordable reproductive healthcare including abortion care,” Hansen said, according to 12 WBOY.
He said politicians should stay out of the matter.
Meanwhile, other state lawmakers are taking action to increase legal protections for unborn babies in West Virginia.
One bill would ban all abortions after 15 weeks. The bill is modeled on legislation from Mississippi that received a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court in December; pro-life advocates expect it will be upheld.
A second bill would ban abortions on unborn babies with disabilities and require medical professionals to provide educational information to parents of unborn babies who are diagnosed with disabilities.
West Virginia is a pro-life state. In 2018, voters approved an addition to the state constitution, stating, “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.”
It also has a “trigger ban” that would ban all abortions if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
