By Dave Andrusko
We try not to post much on Sundays for obvious reasons, but passage of West Virginia’s Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the state Senate required an exception (see “Governor’s Signature Last Step in West Virginia Becoming the 11th State to Protect Unborn Babies Who Can Feel Pain“).
NRL News Today has extensively covered the Perils of Pauline-like history of HB 4588. The bill had to pass the House and make it over to the Senate before time ran out. Suffice it to say that the measure, which looked it would be bottled up in committee in the House, eventually passed by an overwhelming 79-17 margin.
But there was barely any time left in the session. The Senate first had to vote favorably on an amended version of HB 4588—which it did on a voice vote. Then the House had to concur, which it did on Saturday by even larger margin (85-15) that it had initially. The final step (minus the governor’s signature) came when the West Virginia Senate voted in favor 29-5!
Click here to read the February/March issue of National Right to Life News,
the “pro-life newspaper of record.”
Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats, which makes passage all the more remarkable. However, as of this afternoon, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, also a Democrat, has not said whether he would sign the bill into law.
If HB 4588 becomes law, West Virginia will join eight states where the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act went into effect without being challenged in the Courts. In two other states, the law was enjoined and challenged in state courts.
There is extensive evidence unborn children have the capacity to experience pain, at least by 20 weeks fetal age. It is available on the NRLC website at www.nrlc.org/abortion/fetalpain and also here: www.doctorsonfetalpain.com/
A similar bill has passed in the United States House of Representatives. To date pro-abortion Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nv.) has refused to allow a vote.
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