WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE OVERRIDES GOVERNOR’S VETO

AND BECOMES 11^th STATE TO PASS

PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT

 On Friday, March 6, the WV Senate voted 27 to 5 to override Governor Tomblin’s veto of the Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act, making West Virginia the 11^th state to pass this historic legislation. On Wednesday, the House had voted to override the Governor’s veto 77-16.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, HB 2568, which earlier had passed 88-12 in the House (2/11/15) and 29-5 in the Senate (2/25/15), had been vetoed on Tuesday, March 3, by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin based on misguided advice about the constitutionality of the bill.

Earlier in the session, during both House and Senate committee meetings, National Right to Life’s Attorney Jennifer Popik testified that similar legislation is in effect in eight states, is being litigated in two, and has not come before the Supreme Court for a determination regarding its constitutionality.

Because bi-partisan support was so overwhelming with 2/3’s of the Democrats initially supporting the bill in both Republican-controlled chambers, West Virginians for Life expected this outcome.

“West Virginians can be proud of their legislative representatives for the hard work they put into the effort to protect unborn children from the terrible pain of abortion,” said John Carey, Legislative Coordinator for WVFL. “They truly represented the pro-life values of the state.”

“We applaud the passage of HB 2568. This bill reflects the most current medical research, which clearly demonstrates that human beings feel pain beginning at least by 20 weeks gestation,” added West Virginians for Life President Wanda Franz. “West Virginia children will now be protected from pain and abuse from the beginning of the time that they are capable of suffering from pain.”

The bill should take effect in ninety days.

Press Release in pdf format