Now that Democrats have the majority they’re looking to make it easier for women to access abortions. This week, committees in both Virginia’s House and Senate have given their stamp of approval to legislation that would roll back abortion restrictions put in place under Republicans.
Rachel Scruggs was the young mother of a son with special needs when she found out she was pregnant. She decided to get an abortion.
“It was right for him and it was right for what would have been my future child,” she said after a press conference at the capitol.
When she went to the doctor she had to get an ultrasound, mandatory counseling, and wait 24 hours.
“It was incredibly annoying, unnecessary. It’s demeaning,” Scruggs explained. “It almost insinuates that I as an adult am not capable of making my own decisions about my body.”
Democrats are on track to get rid of those requirements, making it possible for a woman to access an abortion the same day she goes in. Republican Senator Siobhan Dunnavant spoke against the changes.
“There is no harm in giving a woman 24 hours to consider the decision she’s being made,” Dunnavant, an OBGYN, said during a Senate committee hearing on the legislation. “This is unlike any other procedure.”
The number of abortions in Virginia has dropped dramatically over the past decade. Republicans say that’s a good thing, but Tarina Keene, with the organization NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, says it could also reflect a lack of access.
“We want to make sure that people can get safe abortion care in their communities right here at home,” said Keene.
While abortions rates have dropped in Virginia, they’ve actually risen in neighboring D.C.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
