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Parental Consent Bill |
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The Virginia-Pilot March 1, 2002 |
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RICHMOND-Efforts to require a parent's permission before a teen-ager could get an abortion were defeated Thursday by a Senate panel.
The measure--the major piece of abortion legislation before the General Assembly this year -- died in a tie vote after vigorous debate in the Senate Education and Health Committee. |
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The tight vote on the parental consent bill marked the growing influence of anti-abortion lawmakers in the General Assembly. The Senate panel for years has been a bulwark against abortion restrictions in Virginia.
"It's just a matter of time before we break the stranglehold of that committee," said Delegate Richard H. Black, the bill's sponsor. "We're one vote short."
Senator Richard L. Saslaw, the panel's most outspoken abortion-rights advocate, acknowledged that the sentiment is turning. The panel narrowly turned back an identical bill two weeks ago.
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"We're giving it our best shot," he said. Saslaw, the minority leader and a 22-year member of the Senate, said this session's series of abortion bills was the most he had ever seen. |
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Virginia law now requires physicians to notify a parent or guardian before ending the pregnancies of young women under 18. A minor may also petition a judge to avoid notification in cases of abuse.
Black's bill, HB601, would give parents broader authority over their daughter's pregnancy. The measure passed by a 3-1 majority in the House.
Black said his bill would bring family members into a young woman's decision on what to do with an unplanned pregnancy. He acknowledged it was also designed to reduce the number of abortions.
"It's about the child unborn," Black said.
Opponents said the measure would give parents a veto over a young woman's decision about her pregnancy.
"This bill is about abortion and nothing else," Saslaw said.
Others said it would intrude on a family's privacy, especially in rural communities, by forcing them to go to a notary to get permission form signed.
The panel deadlocked 7-7 on the issue in the absence of Senator John H. Chichester, R-Stafford.
Afterward, Black continued to fight for the issue in case the committee voted again. He wrote Chichester a note saying his decision "will determine whether 1,000 unborn children will live or die during the coming year."
Chichester, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he missed several debates and votes because of pressing issues related to the state budget. Lawmakers are trying to mend a $3.8 billion hole in the state budget before the General Assembly adjourns next Saturday.
"The budget consumes 90 percent of my time," he said. "I'm not going to vote arbitrarily on bills which I know nothing about."
The committee is not scheduled to meet again during the session, although it could be called into special session. |
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Later in the day, the Senate Finance Committee endorsed a proposal to ban late-term abortions, with exceptions for a mother's health.
Legislators passed a stricter measure in 1998. A federal court judge ruled the law unconstitutional and ordered the state to pay $160,000 in legal fees to settle the case. |
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Opponents say the procedure is rarely performed and argue a new law would almost certainly be challenged again in court. The proposal, HB1154, is expected to be considered by the full Senate next week.
Black said the anti-abortion movement has gained momentum this year, aided by an influx of conservative freshmen Republican delegates. After the November elections, Republicans gained 13 House members. The GOP controls nearly two-thirds of the House's 100 seats and holds a four-seat majority in the Senate.
Black said that if the parental consent bill reached the full Senate, "it would pass, without question."
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