Tag: Tomblin
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.
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.
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.)
Tell Gov. Tomblin to Sign the Pain Capable unborn Child Protection Act
Posted on March 1, 2014 in Life by Nathan Cherry
West Virginia has a chance to make state history as well as send a strong, clear message to Democrats in Washington. The question is whether or not we will claim victory and make that statement, or sink into the abyss that is status-quo for Democratic led politics.
Let’s be clear on the facts first.
West Virginia currently has no laws restricting abortion. Not one. A woman can have an abortion in West Virginia up to the moment of birth for any reason and no one will ask a single question. West Virginia is just one of nine states that have no laws protecting unborn life. What makes this so ironic is that most of our elected lawmakers claim to be pro-life.