CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — As West Virginia’s Republican supermajority continued advancing a sweeping abortion ban bill Tuesday, Democrats failed for the second time in two days to garner enough support to add exceptions for rape and incest victims.
During an hourslong meeting Tuesday, House Judiciary Committee Republicans overwhelmingly rejected Democrats’ amendment for a rape and incest exception, sending the abortion ban to the full House of Delegates. A similar proposal failed Monday in a different House committee.
“Men perpetrating such horrific acts makes me unsettled at times,” said Republican Del. Pat McGeehan, who noted he has a daughter. He voted against the exception. “It’s very disturbing and these are contentious questions we have to deal with. However, when we confront such evil, we cannot participate in evil itself.”
McGeehan said by creating exceptions, even for rape and incest, lawmakers would be sending the message that “the value of life is not unconditional.”
“An innocent life is still an innocent life, regardless of the evil act,” he said. “We have to have moral absolutism. The real question here is: Is it ever just to punish an innocent person for a crime committed by someone else? My answer is absolutely not.”
The House, comprised of 78 Republicans and 22 Democrats, is next scheduled to meet Wednesday after a public hearing on the abortion bill.
Lawmakers were called by Gov. Jim Justice into a special session starting Monday to consider reducing the state’s income tax. As lawmakers were gaveling in, he abruptly added the abortion law to the agenda. The session began week after a Charleston judge barred West Virginia from enforcing an 1800s-era abortion ban, ruling it unenforceable and superseded by a slew of conflicting modern laws.
On Monday, Justice asked legislators to “clarify and modernize” the state abortion laws.
Similar to the 1800s-era ban, Republicans’ new proposal would bar abortion in almost all cases and makes performing one a felony. Physicians who provide abortions could face three to 10 years in prison.
The bill provides exceptions for an ectopic pregnancy, a “nonmedically viable fetus” or a medical emergency.
When Republicans greenlit the bill in the Judiciary Committee, Democratic Del. Kayla Young pointed out she’s one of only three women in the group of 25 lawmakers. There are no people of color on the committee, and she said women and people of color will be impacted the most by a statewide abortion ban.
“We’re never going to have to deal with this because we’re incredibly privileged people,” she said. “We are making decisions about other people, and we shouldn’t do that. If it’s your religious belief, if it’s your moral belief, that is great for you. But get it away from me, get it out of my body, get it out of my uterus.”