Virginia House Delays Vote on GOP Uterus Inspection Bill (Again)
For the second day in a row, the Virginia House of Delegates has put off voting on the Republican Party’s uterus inspection bill: Va. Vote on Abortion Ultrasound Bill Pushed Back a Day.
A House of Delegates vote on a bill that would require women to undergo an ultrasound test before having an abortion was delayed until tomorrow after a short, contentious debate this afternoon.
The move came as a public outcry to bills restricting abortion has prompted some lawmakers to hint they may soften the ultrasound bills.
Two legislators — one a conservative Republican — speaking today on the condition of anonymity said one idea officials have discussed is making the ultrasound legislation optional rather than mandatory.
Other options are to pass the bills by or park them in committee. Either of those moves could effectively shelve the legislation for the year.
The House also delayed the vote for another measure that hasn’t gotten the same attention as the slut-shaming legislation, but is at least as offensive and backward: a Republican bill that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against gay parents.
Maddowblog has an update on the situation from Democratic delegate David Englin:
Quick update on Va. GOP’s vaginal penetration ultrasound mandate: The Senate version of the bill (Senate Bill 484) was scheduled for debate and final vote today, but House Republicans again made a motion to push off the debate and vote by another day. The same happened for Senate Bill 349, the so-called “conscience clause” bill that allows state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to�discriminate�against GLBT families and youth.
House Democrats then attempted a parliamentary maneuver that would have killed the�ultrasound�bill forever, but that failed on a party-line vote. Therefore, both bills are now scheduled for debate and vote tomorrow.
Virginia Republicans are suddenly running scared of their own social agenda!