Virginia Voters Enshrine Third-Trimester Abortion Protections
Virginia voters approve constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights and third-trimester abortion access.
2 min read
Voters in Virginia have approved a new constitutional amendment that enshrines reproductive freedom and abortion protections in the state’s Bill of Rights. The amendment, known as Ballot Question 1, passed with 62.4% of the vote in favor, according to the Associated Press. The measure ensures that individuals have the right to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care.
The amendment also protects doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions. It allows for restrictions on third-trimester abortions only when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. The Virginia Department of Elections stated that the state government is allowed to regulate third-trimester abortion practices but must ensure access when it is medically needed to protect the life and health of the pregnant person or because the fetus is not viable.
The text of the amendment asserts that every person has a ‘fundamental right to reproductive freedom.’ The revised Constitution will state, ‘The Commonwealth shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.’
BREAKING: Virginia PASSES abortion amendment, allowing babies to be m*rdered up to the point of birth. Evil
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) praised the outcome, emphasizing her personal connection to the issue as a mother. ‘Virginians made clear that reproductive rights are not up for debate,’ she wrote on X. ‘After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states across the South and across the country rolled back these rights. But not Virginia.’ She highlighted that Virginia remains the only state in the South that has not restricted women’s reproductive freedoms since the Dobbs decision. ‘Because Virginians used their voices at the ballot box, these rights will be enshrined in our Constitution. No politician can threaten our right to choose, right to privacy, right to access IVF, or right to contraception.’
Virginians made clear that reproductive rights are not up for debate. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states across the South and across the country rolled back these rights. But not Virginia. Our Commonwealth remains the only state in the South that has not…
This amendment was one of three on the ballot. All three passed in the midterms. Question 2 asked if the ban on same-sex marriage should be removed to ‘affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race.’ Question 3 would allow persons who lose their right to vote while incarcerated for a felony to automatically regain the ability to vote upon release from prison.
Source: OANN
