It seems Governor Tomblin can’t get anything done these days.

In recent weeks Gov. Tomblin has vetoed several bills and been promptly overridden by the legislature. One of those bills was SB 10, The West Virginia Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act. This bill had broad bi-partisan support from the time it was introduced and seemed like a no-brainer to sign into law.

Gov. Tomblin however, claiming to be pro-life, vetoed the bill. Honestly, I’ve never seen someone that claims to be pro-life do so little to protect the unborn. Tomblin has, however, done plenty to ensure abortion continues in West Virginia. Maybe he should stop claiming to be pro-life and just admit that he supports abortion. After all, actions speak louder than words.

In his veto, Tomblin said:

“I am advised this bill is overbroad and unduly burdens a woman’s fundamental right to privacy.”

Apparently a woman’s “fundamental right to privacy” outweighs an unborn child’s right to not be torn limb from limb. That’s an odd position to take.

Thankfully, though, the West Virginia legislature once again rose to the challenge and overrode Tomblin’s veto quickly. The governor must have known this would happen considering the majority support for this bill. Whether he knew he would be overridden or not, I am thankful the legislature did what was right and made sure unborn babies in West Virginia would not be subject to this terrible torture.

The bottom line is that whether you think a ban like this will stand judicial scrutiny or not, if you claim to be pro-life you have to do everything in your power to protect the unborn. Hiding behind hypothetical legal challenges does not mean you can do nothing. Tomblin has proven that he’s more concerned with the possibility of a legal challenge than he is with protecting unborn children.

Many thanks to our legislature for doing what is right and protecting the unborn. Our legislature has taken some extraordinary steps in the last couple of years to make West Virginia a state we can be proud to live in. Maybe we can get a governor that will join them in their efforts to strengthen families and protect unborn children.