Democratic Sen. Phil Puckett says he will vote for “Personhood Bill”

ROANOKE, VA —
The “Personhood Bill” passed the House of Delegates by a wide margin Tuesday and now it has a good chance of passing the State Senate.

The bill specifically defines life to the moment of conception. This would allow prosecutors to bring additional charges against suspects for the death of an unborn child.

Abortion issues are largely voted on down party lines and with Republican controlling the Senate with the 20-20 split. Now a Democrat says he supports the bill as well, meaning it would likely pass on the Senate floor.

Russell County Democrat Phil Puckett (D-38th) tells WSLS’s Jarett Henshaw that he will vote for the Personhood Bill for religious reasons. He says he believes life begins at conception, and he’s not concerned about any possible backlash within the caucus over those beliefs.