The Patrick County Republican Committee adopted a resolution at a Feb. 22 meeting voicing opposition to the loosening of restrictions of the practice of late-term abortion as proposed in the Virginia House of Delegates by Del. Kathy Tran, D- Fairfax; and co-sponsors Dels. Kaye Kory, D-Falls Church and Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, as well as State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D- Richmond.
HB 2491 proposed eliminating the requirement that an abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy and prior to the third trimester be performed in a hospital and eliminating all the procedures and processes, including the performance of an ultrasound, required to effect a woman’s informed written consent to the performance of an abortion; however, the bill does not change the requirement that a woman’s informed written consent be first obtained.
The proposal also would have eliminated the current requirement that two other physicians certify that a third trimester abortion is necessary to prevent the woman’s death or impairment of her mental or physical health, and also removes language classifying facilities that perform five or more first-trimester abortions per month as hospitals for the purpose of complying with regulations establishing minimum standards for hospitals.
In passing the resolution, the local GOP committee felt that although the measure was tabled in the House of Delegates, it may and likely will be raised again in the next session, according to a release.
“It was felt that we need to take a position in firm opposition to this practice,” the release stated.
