Tag: capable
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.”
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.
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.
Why Did “Pro Life” Gov. Tomblin Veto a Bill Banning Abortion?
Posted on April 3, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin will have a hard time convincing anyone that he’s pro-life from this point forward. News broke late last night that Gov. Tomblin vetoed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act after he doubted the bills constitutionality.
This bill, HB 4588, also known as the 20 week abortion ban, would have made it illegal to perform an abortion after 20 weeks gestation. That is the point at which most doctors and scientists agree that an unborn child can certainly feel pain. This fact means that abortion after 20 weeks is nothing short of torture as the pain capable unborn child is being torn limb from limb and can feel everything.
It was a surprise that the bill even made it out of committee and found a hearing in the legislature considering the Democratic majority and the hurdles placed before it. Nonetheless HB 4588 was voted on and passed in the house and senate by overwhelming bi-partisan majorities. This should have made the bill very easy for Gov. Tomblin to sign, considering the super-majority of state senators and delegates that supported it.
Governor Tomblin Playing Political Games with Unborn Children
Posted on April 1, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Last week Gov. Tomblin vetoed the Unborn Pain Capable Child Protection Bill (HB 4588) saying it was unconstitutional. Never mind that the bill passed in 10 other states and even the U.S. House of Representatives, Tomblin’s legal team advised him that the bill was problematic.
And article this morning at the Daily Caller quotes Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser regarding the incident:
“This high profile hypocrisy is producing justified outrage in West Virginia and across the nation. Shame on Governor Tomblin for turning his back on unborn children and women by vetoing a compassionate, common sense limit passed with overwhelming bipartisan support…This bill has passed in 10 other states and even the U.S. House of Representatives – none of which considered the bill to be unconstitutional, as the Governor claimed. I believe this was the plan of the Democratic Leadership in West Virginia all along, to allow the bill to pass so their vulnerable Democrat members could vote pro-life before an important election and then have lame-duck Governor veto the bill. That’s not leadership.”
I couldn’t agree more with that assessment as the only plausible explanation for the weak, barely there “unconstitutional” reason for the veto. My contention is simple, if Gov. Tomblin was truly pro-life he would eagerly sign the bill and let the courts decide if it was constitutional or not. His primary goal would be protecting the unborn. If his primary goal is his own career, and creating a sound bite for fellow Democrats up for re-election, veto the bill. By doing so he tells national Democrats – of which I believe Tomblin wants to join in Washington – that he will be a “team player” on the issue. He gives Democrats in the state legislature a good talking point on the campaign trail and once again the desires of the people of West Virginia are ignored.
Tell Gov. Tomblin if you agree with his decision. Let him know if you will or will not support him should he decide to run for federal office. Personally, if he won’t defend the unborn here in West Virginia there is no reason to believe he will do so in Washington. That’s not a candidate I can support.
Contact the Office of Gov. Tomblin.
Breaking: Texas Abortion Ruling Has Implications for West Virginia
Posted on March 28, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
This is not only important for Texas and the lives that will be saved there, this is important for West Virginia as well.
Right now Gov. Tomblin is still waiting to sign the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that passed in the state legislature earlier this month. The bill passed with an overwhelming bi-partisan majority that should have made it a no-brainer for the governor to sign. And yet he is waiting, and hedging, saying that he is concerned about the “constitutionality” of the bill.
Those concerns should have been relieved when the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group, sent a letter to Gov. Tomblin assuring him of the constitutionality of the bill. Now that the Texas law, which is must more stringent in its legal scope than the West Virginia law, has been upheld yet again as constitutional, there is really no reason for Gov. Tomblin not to sign the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. That is, unless his claim to be pro-life is little more than a campaign slogan.
ADF to Gov. Tomblin: 20 Week Abortion Bill is Constitutionally Sound
Posted on March 19, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The Alliance Defending Freedom, a non-profit Christian legal group, sent a letter to Gov. Tomblin assuring him that the 20 week abortion ban that was overwhelmingly supported by the legislature is indeed constitutionally sound. Tomblin has questioned the legality of the bill while saying he is unsure if he will sign it. He has done so while claiming to be pro-life. The following was reported by ADF here.
Gov. Tomblin now has no reason to veto this bill and doing so will prove that his claim to be pro-life is more a campaign talking point than a conviction.
LifeNews: Gov. Tomblin Should Sign H.B. 4588 and Protect Babies
Posted on March 13, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
Lifenews.com: Over the weekend the West Virginia House and Senate put the finishing touches on a hugely important bill. If Gov. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signs HB 4588– The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act– West Virginia’s unborn babies, who can feel pain, will be protected from abortion. If there is not a compelling state interest in protecting unborn children from such a hideous death, what would qualify?
If Gov. Tomblin signs the bill into law, West Virginia will join ten other states and the United States House of Representatives that have passed similar bills. If Governor Tomblin signs the bill into law, he will be recognizing what huge majorities in both the House and Senate saw clearly. That HB 4588 is grounded in a moral empathy that resonates loudly with the people of West Virginia: “You don’t kill unborn children who are capable of feeling pain.” If Governor Tomblin signs the bill into law, he will be doing the right thing.
BREAKING: Fetal Pain Bill in West Virginia Awaiting Governor’s Signature!
Posted on March 10, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
The much discussed Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has passed every legislative hurdle that has been thrown at it. With much discussion the life saving bill has made it through the state senate and is now on its way to Gov. Tomblin for his signature. Unfortunately, if a quote in a recent article is any indication, the governor may not be signing the bill. The article stated:
“West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said he’s concerned that a bill to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks could be unconstitutional. ‘Even the legislative attorneys and others have said that they feel that the bill is unconstitutional,’ he said Saturday.”
The bill passed by an 85-15 margin and would enjoy majority support in the state. And with provisions for the mother’s life embedded there is little doubt that the bill would stand up to judicial scrutiny.
Gov. Tomblin has always claimed to be pro-life but done little to nothing to defend life or advance life in West Virginia. This is his chance to put actions to his talk and prove to the people of West Virginia that he is more than just talk. If he chooses to veto this bill it will send shock waves across the state and keep West Virginia as one of just nine states with not a single limitation on abortion.
I encourage you to contact Gov. Tomblins office and let him know you support this bill and want to see him sign it. Our encouragement should not be necessary for someone that claims to be pro-life, but perhaps it will remove any hesitancy on the part of the Governor. (Click here to contact the Governor’s office.)