Tag: 20 week
BOOM! West Virginia Gets It Right By Passing Pro Life Law
Posted on June 1, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
West Virginia has been on a dubious list for a very long time. We were one of just 9 states that had not one single law limiting abortion in any way. What that meant is that anyone could abort a child for any reason up to the moment of birth in West Virginia. And yet West Virginia has always been held as one of the most pro-life states in the country. It doesn’t make any sense.
But the state changed all that by becoming one of 11 states to pass a 20 week abortion bill. This means that abortions beyond the 20 week period without significant medical reason are now illegal. The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a significant step in the right direction in defending the most vulnerable West Virginians.
Despite being vetoed twice by our “pro-life” governor, the State Legislature did the right thing in overriding Gov. Tomblins veto and making sure this important piece of legislation was passed. Now it has become law and West Virginians can be proud of the work of their legislature.
A recent article comments on this new law:
Update: WV Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto – Passes First Abortion Ban in the State!
Posted on March 9, 2015 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Despite being vetoed last year, and then again this year, the West Virginia legislature has successfully overrode Gov. Tomblin’s veto to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This means West Virginia now has it’s first abortion limiting law on the books. West Virginia was previously one of just nine states with not a single abortion limiting law in place. That meant a woman could get an abortion for any reason up to the moment of birth. Considering the fact that a vast majority of West Virginians are pro-life – that was simply not acceptable.
We were all disappointed when our “pro-life” governor vetoed this bill last year; a decision that told us all we need to know about where Tomblin stands on the issue of life. After a second veto this year, no one in West Virginia will ever wonder about Tomblin’s position or whether he will defend life – he won’t.
National Right to Life made the following comment concerning the legislature’s override:
“In a 27-5 vote, the West Virginia state Senate today joined with the state House of Delegates in voting to override Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s veto of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HB 2568), legislation that protects unborn children from abortion at the point that they are able to feel pain. Tomblin’s veto came after the state House of Delegates and the state Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill in February. The legislature’s successful override of Gov. Tomblin’s veto means that the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act will go into effect in 90 days.”
Another article wrote:
WV Senate President Kessler Tells Gov. Tomblin to Call Special Session to Address 20 Week Abortion Ban
Posted on June 3, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
According to Alliance Alert: West Virginia Senate President Jeff Kessler (D) today added more pressure to the call for a special session to address the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the bill that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) vetoed at the end of the regular session in March.
Appearing today on MetroNews “Talkline,” Kessler said, “We have a pro-life majority in leadership and I think we can get this issue addressed and put it behind us and move on to other topics that also need to be addressed.”
Gov. Tomblin has said he would again veto the bill, arguing it is unconstitutional. House Speaker Tim Miley again brought up cost. “I don’t believe West Virginia taxpayers will understand why lawmakers would be so eager to quickly return to Charleston at great expense to attempt to pass legislation destined for a long legal battle and a very uncertain future,” he said.
Kessler rebutted both contentions in his appearance on Talkline. Had he thought the law was unconstitutional, Kessler said he wouldn’t have voted for it in the first place.
“Kessler argued the bill already has overwhelming support among legislators and just needs another chance to pass,” according to reporter Shauna Johnson of West Virginia Metro News. Kessler said, “We are going to have a pain capable bill. That’s a given.”
URGENT: West Virginia Legislature Close to Forcing Special Session to Override Veto of Pro Life Bill
Posted on May 27, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
I am pleased to report that news has been circulating that legislators in West Virginia are close to forcing a special session to seek an override to Gov. Tomblin’s veto of the 20 week abortion ban. Pro-lifers throughout the state and across the country were disappointed when Tomblin vetoed the bill for several reasons; least of all is the fact that he consistently claims to be pro-life. But his reasoning, that the bill is unconstitutional, doesn’t hold up considering that other states have passed similar bills that have withstood judicial challenge.
LifeNews.com is reporting: “In a speech Wednesday, House Minority Leader Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha) urged members to sign the petition. He said of Tomlin’s threat to veto, ‘I’m sure it’s a message to the remaining Democratic members to not sign the petition.’ However, Tomblin would have no choice if three-fifths of the members of both houses request it in writing. That means 22 in the Senate and 60 delegates. As of Thursday night, Armstead said it was his understanding that ’54 delegates and 23 senators had signed the petition,’ the Charleston Gazette reported.”
What Other States Are Doing That West Virginia is Not
Posted on May 10, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
West Virginia is a great place to live, once you get used to its quirky ways. But one thing that is hard to ever get used to is how behind West Virginia is regarding many social issues and public policies. A good example of that is the 20 week abortion bill that passed our state legislature with an overwhelmingly bi-partisan support only to be vetoed by our governor. Gov. Tomblin’s reason for vetoing the bill? He said he wasn’t sure that it was constitutional.
Well, that’s just a lame excuse used to cover up some political strategy aimed at advancing Tomblin’s career. After all, Tomblin has to first take care of himself rather than the people he serves and the unborn children being killed each and every day. But just in case Tomblin is still living in denial and believing he did the right thing, let’s take a look at what some other states are doing to protect the unborn.
Mississippi governor signs 18-week abortion ban, one of nation’s most restrictive: “Mississippi has passed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws after Governor Phil Bryant signed a bill banning most abortions at 18 weeks’ gestation, or 20 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. House Bill 1400, which will take effect on July 1, allows an abortion if a woman would likely die or face permanent injury as a result of the pregnancy. It also has an exception for when an unborn baby has severe abnormalities, but no rape or incest exceptions. Bryant, who has said he wants to ban all abortions in his state, signed the bill into law on Wednesday despite heavy criticism from Democrats and abortion providers.”
What Evidence Shows Manchin and Tomblin are Really Pro-Life?
Posted on April 15, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
West Virginia politics is one of the strangest animals in the zoo. Or perhaps the whole zoo is strange. The more I dive into the political system in West Virginia the more confused I become as it seemingly makes no sense.
Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about.
A former governor of West Virginia that claims to be pro-life allowed an abortion clinic to operate down the road from his office for years without lifting a finger. He could have brought common sense health and safety regulations to this completely unregulated clinic, he could have even sought to ban abortion. After all, pro-life people generally don’t like any abortions, much less unregulated ones taking place. Yet, as governor, he did nothing.
That former governor is now a senator, where, once again, he claims to be pro-life while he does little to nothing to defend and protect life either is his home state or the nation as a whole. But he recently said that would vote for a federal 20 week abortion ban if it comes up for a vote in the senate.
Governor Signs 20 Week Abortion Ban – in Mississippi
Posted on April 4, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Fox News: “Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Tuesday that he looks forward to quickly signing a bill that would ban abortion at 20 weeks, the midpoint of a full-term pregnancy. ‘This measure represents a great effort to protect the unborn in Mississippi,’ Bryant said in a statement after House Bill 1400 passed the House 91-20 and the Senate 41-10.”
Just days after West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin decided to veto a 20 week abortion ban because his legal team said it was “unconstitutional,” Mississippi governor Phil Bryant is preparing to sign one into law. Apparently Gov. Bryant did not consult Gov. Tomblin’s legal team to know such bills are unconstitutional. Apparently the other dozen states and the U.S. House of Representatives did not consult Gov. Tomblin’s legal team to know such bill are unconstitutional.
Or maybe Gov. Tomblin is playing political games to protect vulnerable Democrat lawmakers up for re-election in 2014.
Perhaps Gov. Tomblin is is signaling to national Democrats that he is with them on this issue in order to gain favor as he seeks federal office.
It could be that Gov. Tomblin’s claim to be “pro-life” is nothing more than empty words since his voting record does not reflect such a claim.
Whatever the reasons, one thing is clear, Gov. Tomblin’s legal team gave bad advice, and Gov. Tomblin should have signed the bill in order to show West Virginians that he truly is pro-life. The fact that he vetoed the bill while claiming to be pro-life is hypocrisy at its worst and West Virginia can do better.
West Virginia Lawmakers Making National News for All the Wrong Reasons
Posted on April 3, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Over the last few days West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin has been in the news quite a bit. His claim to fame is that he vetoed the 20 week abortion ban last Friday. Tomblin, a “pro-life” governor said the bill was unconstitutional. I guess the other states and the U.S. House of Representatives that passed similar bills should have consulted with Tomblin’s legal team.
Joining Gov. Tomblin in the halls of shame this week is West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin is also a self-proclaimed “pro-life” politician that is coming under fire for not becoming a sponsor of the federal 20 week abortion ban. An article at LifeNews.com explains:
“To put pressure on Manchin to support the bill, the SBA List today informed LifeNews of a $20,000 radio ad buy encouraging Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to become the first Democratic senator to cosponsor the federal Pain Capable Unborn Child Act. The legislation would protect unborn children beginning at 20 weeks – more than halfway through pregnancy. Similar laws have been passed in 13 states. The federal bill passed the U.S. House and has more than 40 Senate cosponsors.”
Having more than 40 co-sponsors in the Senate is encouraging and gives hope for the bills hearing and passage. But it does not guarantee anything will come of it. Gov. Tomblin proved that when the West Virginia bill gained an overwhelming bi-partisan support only to have Tomblin veto the bill.
Once again West Virginia finds itself in the un-enviable position of having lawmakers in the news for all the wrong reasons. Republicans and Democrats came together to pass a life saving bill only to have our “pro-life” governor veto it. And our “pro-life” Senator won’t sign on to another life saving bill in the Senate. At some point we have to stop listening to what our candidates say and start paying attention to what they do. The next time Tomblin and Manchin claim to be pro-life the audience needs to laugh and remind them of their voting records.