Virginia wants women to remain, well, virgins

[CountDeMoney]

Virginia Senate passes bill requiring women to undergo ultrasound before abortion

RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would require women to have an ultrasound before an abortion, the first of several legislative measures this year that are expected to dramatically alter abortion law in the state.

Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Senate had rejected similar legislation each year for the past decade, arguing that the bills' intent is to discourage women from the procedure. But now that the body is more conservative, abortion and other social legislation are back to the forefront.

Republicans, in control of both chambers for only the second time since the Civil War, are looking to pass a slew of bills in the 60-day session that take on abortion. They include banning the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requiring that insurers that cover abortions also offer policies that do not, and giving rights to a fertilized egg at the moment of conception. Another bill, which will be debated in the House of Delegates on Thursday, would end state subsidies for poor women to abort fetuses that have serious birth defects.

The House has been pushing the abortion legislation for years but only now has sympathetic partners in the Senate and the governor's mansion.

The House is expected to easily pass the ultrasound bill in the coming weeks. Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who opposes abortion rights, has already said he would sign it into law.

The measure passed Wednesday would require a woman to undergo an ultrasound to determine the gestation age of the fetus and be given an opportunity to view the pictures. A woman who refuses to view the ultrasound would have to sign a statement — which would become a part of her medical file — saying she was given the option. The bill also would require the abortion provider to keep a printed copy of the image in the patient's file.

McDonnell, a rising star in his party and a possible vice presidential contender, has been uncharacteristically outspoken in his support of the ultrasound bill and other abortion proposals that are likely to come to his desk. As a delegate, he introduced a bill, now law, that requires providers to receive written permission from a woman before performing an abortion.

'Legitimate health issue'

Supporters of the ultrasound measure say it would provide crucial medical information to women seeking abortions, while opponents say it would subject women to unnecessary tests and invade their privacy.

"It's a legitimate health issue," said Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester), who sponsored the legislation.

Vogel also said the measure "does not infringe on a woman's decision, her autonomy." She added: "It is not invasive. It does not attempt to infringe in any way on the doctor-patient relationship, and it absolutely does not infringe on her right to have an abortion."

The Senate voted 21 to 18 in favor of the ultrasound bill, largely along party lines, with a pair of Democrats who oppose abortion rights voting with 19 Republicans. One Democrat was absent. Sen. John C. Watkins (R-Chesterfield) voted against it.

Six states have similar laws, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit reproductive-health research center that gathers data on abortions in the United States.

'Judgment of politicians'

"I'm appalled that some legislators are insisting on putting government regulation between a woman and her doctor,'' said Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax). The bill "holds the judgment of politicians above the wisdom of physicians."

Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, agreed."These anti-choice attacks are far-reaching and really out of touch with Virginians,'' she said. "When Virginians understand the full impact of these bills, they do not support them and do not want lawmakers to interfere in women's personal, private decisions regarding abortion and other reproductive-health care.''

But supporters of the bills say are relieved that the General Assembly is finally taking their concerns about women's health and safety seriously.

"We're certainly pleased to have more pro-life members,'' said Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation. "We're pleased to see we're getting a fair hearing."

The bill also would require women who live within 100 miles of their provider to wait at least 24 hours before having an abortion, except in emergencies. Those who live farther than 100 miles would have to wait two hours.

The Senate vote came after a lengthy and impassioned argument by Democrats. "I really don't want to be in the position — as a clinician — where I say you need to have this diagnostic test done and the patient asks me, 'Doctor, why? Why do I need that done?' " said Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk), a pediatric neurologist.

"And I would say, 'Sir or ma'am, the reason is a group of politicians in Richmond are telling you, you have to have it done.' That is not our place as a government.''

In previous years, similar proposals easily passed the GOP-controlled House but died in the Senate, where Democrats and moderate Republicans had stacked committees to ensure the bills never reached the floor.

But GOP lawmakers altered the makeup of the committees this year.

The party-line vote in committee last week allowed the bill to come to the full Senate for a vote for the first time. Two Senate Democrats — Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William) and Phillip P. Puckett (D-Russell) — oppose abortion rights.

McDonnell spokesman Jeff Caldwell said the governor supports the bill "as it provides women considering abortion to have additional information that can help them make an informed decision.''

[Valmy]

Yeah I think we already have that law.

I mean the state is not paying for the ultrasounds so how exactly does it "provides women considering abortion to have additional information"?  It doesn't give women anything.

[garbon]

So what if the woman has the ultrasound and still wants the abortion? Yay rising healthcare costs? Do insurances cover the unnecessary testing?

[Ed Anger]

Hopefully they remember to steal a bottle of that gel.

[Martinus]

Seriously, I'm glad you guys are losing the superpower status. The Chinese may be bastards, but they are not retards.

[Viking]

mandating that people buy healthcare? WTF? Thats, what, like, what, OBAMACARE!!!!1111oneoneoneoen

[CountDeMoney]

And yet more developments on the War Against Women By Women--

Donors reacting to the Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood contributed $650,000 in 24 hours, nearly enough to replace last year's Komen funding, Planned Parenthood executives said Wednesday.

The organization had raised more than $400,000 from more than 6,000 online donors as of Wednesday afternoon, compared with the 100 to 200 donations it receives on an average day, said Tait Sye, a spokesman for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He said donations were still coming in.

The group also launched a Breast Health Emergency Fund to ensure funding to affiliates that will lose their Komen grants. That fund received a $250,000 gift from the family foundation of Dallas philanthropist Lee Fikes and his wife, Amy.

"People respond powerfully when they see politics interfering with women's health," Sye said. "That's why we've seen a tremendous outpouring of support."

Komen officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday that they had decided to stop funding Planned Parenthood, saying a new national policy barred support for organizations under government investigation. A House committee began a probe in September into Planned Parenthood's compliance with federal restrictions on funding abortions.

Planned Parenthood said the fund cutoff is the result of Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen also hired a vice president last year, Karen Handel, who had previously advocated for the group's defunding in her run for Georgia governor.

Komen officials did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. On the organization's Facebook page, a statement said that its highest priority is serving women and that it would work to ensure no gaps in service for women who need breast health screening and services.

"Grant making decisions are not about politics — our priority is and always will be the women we serve," the statement said.

Abortion rights opponents, who had pressured Komen to end its relationship with Planned Parenthood, praised the decision.

Planned Parenthood allies took to Komen's Facebook page and online message boards to express their frustration. Some started Facebook groups with titles such as "Defund the Komen Foundation" and "Stop the Susan G Komen Fdn's Race Against Planned Parenthood."

The Denver Komen has been granted an exception from the funding cutoff, according to a statement on its Facebook page. The Connecticut chapter, for its part, expressed dismay over losing its ability to fund its local Planned Parenthood affiliate.

"We are funding [Planned Parenthood] and we are absolutely frustrated by this," said Ann Hogan, board president for Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut.

Her Komen chapter has also vented its frustration on its Facebook page.

Planned Parenthood said its Komen grants totaled about $680,000 last year and $580,000 in 2010; the funding went to at least 19 of its affiliates for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services.

Overall, Komen invested $93 million in community health programs last year, which included 700,000 mammograms, according to its Facebook page.

Planned Parenthood has been at the center of many heated political battles in recent months. Most center on whether, as an abortion provider, it should receive federal funds for other services it provides, such as contraceptives and preventive screenings.

None of the Planned Parenthood affiliates in the Washington area receive any Komen funds, executives said.

But in the Hampton Roads area, which has a higher breast cancer rate than the country as a whole, the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia had just applied for a $36,000 grant to educate young minority women about breast health and pay for mammograms, marketing director Erin Zabel said.

Zabel said the local affiliate will have to reduce education efforts and hope for replacement funds to cover the mammograms.

"Our other large funders haven't been bullied by the political pressure," she said. "Not yet."

Tuesday's decision has prompted a spike in individual donations. "We typically don't get a ton," she said. But Wednesday the group received about 20 to 30 donations totaling "a couple thousand dollars" online, she said. "This is probably the biggest reaction we've seen."

Keep fucking with women, GOP.  Especially in an election year.

I did my part:  upped my monthly donation to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

[Neil]

See, this is why Republicans can't be trusted.  Well, there are other reasons too, but this is one of the most annoying:  Their insistence on trying to refight the culture war that they lost a long time ago is retarded.

[Siege]

Seriously, I'm glad you guys are losing the superpower status. The Chinese may be bastards, but they are not retards.

Wait until they start persecuting faggots.
Oh wait, they always done that.

[CountDeMoney]

Seriously, I'm glad you guys are losing the superpower status. The Chinese may be bastards, but they are not retards.

I dunno, man....one child policy + cultural emphasis on males = a lot of dead baby girls and a shit ton of frustrated males.  That's not very fucking smart.

[Eddie Teach]

Maybe they're relying on the Japanese to have developed realistic sexbots by the time the shit hits the fan.

[The Brain]

We don't need no Life Panels.

[Valmy]

Seriously, I'm glad you guys are losing the superpower status. The Chinese may be bastards, but they are not retards.

Well that makes two of us.  Being a Superpower is sort of embarrasing.  The whole world sees how stupid your society is.  That should be a secret carefully protected by each culture.

[CountDeMoney]

Since Komen suddenly changed its mind less than a week after it fucked itself, has it fucked itself permanently?

Might be too little, too late for Komen, bioethicist says
By Art Caplan, Ph.D.

It is almost too little, too late for Susan G. Komen For the Cure. When the organization chose to cut funding to Planned Parenthood that paid for breast cancer screenings, it planted itself clumsily and unnecessarily in the middle of America's wars over abortion and mortally wounded its reputation. It doesn't matter that they have now have apparently reversed that decision.

By even raising the possibility that they would pull the plug on the hundreds of thousands of dollars they give to Planned Parenthood to support breast cancer detection, they have lost the single-minded focus on finding a cure for a horrid disease that allowed them to become a charity giant envied by every other disease advocacy organization in the world.

In the highly competitive world of medical charities, Komen was the 800-pound gorilla. It could light up the night in pink, dress the monsters of the NFL in pink, stick a button on every lapel and convince women to walk 60 miles in three days for the cause.

Those battling Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer, melanoma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and all the rest could only sigh and hope that there might still be a spot on a coat to stick another button or one last footstep that might be taken in the service of their plague.  And behind the scenes they let that frustration be known. The unimaginable blunder of the Komen leadership opens the door for the rest of those trying to help the afflicted to rush through with hands out and fingers pointing.

There is one last step that can be taken to save the mighty Komen from running aground permanently. The entire executive leadership and board must resign. Now. Anything less means that the prominence that Komen achieved will become simply one more in a long list of worthy causes that Americans may or may not choose to support.

[Tonitrus]

Seriously, I'm glad you guys are losing the superpower status. The Chinese may be bastards, but they are not retards.

I dunno, man....one child policy + cultural emphasis on males = a lot of dead baby girls and a shit ton of frustrated males.  That's not very fucking smart.

Sounds like a gay plot to rid the world of female competition.