Virginia will likely become the only state in the South to allow unrestricted access to abortions, as South Carolina and North Carolina this week moved to ban the procedure at six and 12 weeks, respectively.
As reported by the Associated Press on Thursday, South Carolina is among the last bastions in the region for those seeking legal abortions, though that status could end soon. After six weeks of pregnancy — often before women learn that they are pregnant — access could be almost entirely banned under the bill that must now pass the state Senate, which previously rejected a proposal to nearly outlaw abortions but could give final passage to the new legislation next week.
Most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will be banned in North Carolina beginning July 1, after the state's Republican-controlled Legislature successfully overrode Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper's veto late Tuesday.
"As long as Democrats remain in control in the Senate, abortion will remain legal in Virginia," Democrat state Sen. Lamont Bagby told the Washington Examiner. "But make no mistake — we're two seats away from Gov. [Glenn] Youngkin [R-Va.] passing his own abortion ban right here in the commonwealth. He's been clear about his intentions, and I'll do everything in my power to stop him."
Abortion is banned or severely restricted in much of the South. That includes bans throughout pregnancy in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. In Georgia, abortion is allowed only in the first six weeks.
The Associated Press also reported that such restrictions are now possible because the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which established a nationwide right to abortion.
GOP Virginia Del. Dave LaRock told the Examiner it was "disappointing" to see that his state's Democrats "are so extreme that they favor Virginia being a destination state for unrestricted abortions through all nine months of pregnancy."
"Year after year, I've seen Virginia Democrats oppose reasonable laws that respect where most Americans and Virginians are on the abortion issue," LaRock said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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