Unexpected Veto of Abortion Ban in WV
Great news out of West Virginia over the weekend. Governor
Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed a bill that would have banned abortion after 20-weeks
of pregnancy. According to ThinkProgress,
Gov. Tomblin recognized that the measure was unconstitutional:
In
a statement
regarding his decision, the governor explained that the
abortion ban would be a “detriment of the health and safety of expectant
mothers,” and noted that it violates the constitution.
Since 2010, 12
states have passed 20-week bans on abortion, and in the three
states where the laws have been challenged—Arizona, Georgia, and Idaho—the
court has blocked them from being enforced, either preliminarily or
permanently. In fact recently
in the Center’s case in Arizona, the Supreme Court recently refused to review
the law—allowing a ruling from a lower court
striking the measure as unconstitutional to stand.