Today, the Virginia Senate passed the mandatory ultrasound bill (House Bill 462), which requires women seeking abortion care to first have an ultrasound in a separate encounter for the purpose of demeaning and shaming women seeking reproductive health care.
Contact Governor McDonnell to tell him to VETO this overreach of the government. Call him at 804-786-2211 NOW and email him by clicking here. It has never been more important to make your voice heard. Tell him the government should not be interfering with personal, private medical decisions that should be best left to women and families and their doctors.
Does taking action make a difference? Yes it does! Here's what the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition accomplished during our Day of Action on Feb. 23rd: we made over 7,000 calls to Virginians about HB1 the so-called 'Personhood' bill; HB 62, which would have cut funding for low-income women seeking abortions due to severe fetal anomaly; and the mandatory ultrasound bills. The results?
> HB 1 'Personhood' has been recommitted to Senate Education & Health committee and moved to 2013!
> HB 62 didn't pass out of Senate Finance today! It is passed by indefinitely.
Add your voice to the movement and tell Governor McDonnell to VETO HB462, mandtory ultrasounds!You can share this news and critical opportunity on your Facebook, Twitter and listservs by clicking here. Thank you for taking action today!
And from the Washington Post
RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday for a scaled-back version of a contentious proposal that would require women to undergo external ultrasounds before abortions, but not the transvaginal ones.
The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators to soften the bill following protests on Capitol Square and mocking on national television, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live.’’
McDonnell, an abortion opponent who had said he would sign the bill, asked lawmakers to amend the measure after it became clear the original legislation would have required a vaginal ultrasound in most cases because abortions usually occur in the first trimester.
The Senate amended the bill to exclude women who have reported to law enforcement that they are victims of rape and incest. But women who know that their fetus suffers from birth defects would have to undergo an ultrasound.
Two Democrats — Sen. Charles Colgan (Prince William) and Phil Puckett (Russell) — voted with Republicans. One Republican, Sen. John Watkins (Chesterfield), voted with Democrats.
Because another amendment was added to the bill on Tuesday, the measure goes to the Republican-dominated House of Delegates for approval before it heads to McDonnell for his signature.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/331282/saturday-night-live-really-with-seth-and-amy-birth-control
