Virginia lawmakers advance amendment that would allow third-trimester abortions

Virginia State House - Wikimedia Commons

 By Ryan Foley - Posted at The Christian Post:

Published January 22, 2025

"The proposed amendment to the Virginia Bill of Rights would establish a 'Fundamental Right to Reproductive Freedom,' declaring that 'every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one's own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.'"

"'An individual's right to reproductive freedom shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means,' the proposed amendment also states."

Lawmakers in Virginia have approved a constitutional amendment that would establish a right to abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, taking the first step in their push to ensure that it goes before voters by the end of the decade.

In a 21-19 vote Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate approved Senate Joint Resolution 247 along party lines. All Democrats in the upper chamber voted to advance the proposed constitutional amendment, while all Republicans voted against it.

The passage paves the way for the Virginia General Assembly to weigh in on a proposal that would amend the Virginia Constitution for a second time following the next general election, scheduled to take place this November.

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