What's happening Monday?
The state Senate is expected to vote on a bill to repeal the one-handgun-a-month law.
House passes bill to limit state-paid abortions
The Virginia House of Delegates on Friday passed a measure to curb state-paid abortions for low-income women.
House Bill 62, introduced by Del. Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania, would repeal a section of state code authorizing the Board of Health to fund abortions in cases of gross incapacity and deformity for women on medical assistance.
The measure passed 64-35 after passionate pleas from Democrats, who claim the measure effectively would prevent abortions for poor women unable to care for a child with special needs.
"I'm proud to say I'm a pro-life Democrat," said Del. Joseph D. Morrissey, D-Henrico. "With this bill, the majority party has gone too far."
Cole said the bill — which conforms Virginia Medicaid law to federal law by barring the use of tax dollars to pay for abortions in circumstances other than rape, incest or threat to the mother's life — would stop the state from "forcing people who think this is morally wrong to pay for something that is against their conscience."
Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said the bill "will leave low-income women in Virginia with no options for a pregnancy that has gone tragically wrong."
House approves measure for adoption exemptions
The House of Delegates on Friday passed its version of the "conscience clause" bill, which protects a private adoption agency's right to refuse placement based on religious beliefs.
House Bill 189, sponsored by Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, passed 71-28.
Earlier Friday, the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee endorsed its version of the bill on an 8-7 party-line vote, sending it to the floor next week.
Gov. Bob McDonnell will sign the bill if it reaches his desk, spokesman Jeff Caldwell said. That likely would make Virginia just the second state to explicitly authorize private child-placement agencies to reject adoptions based on their beliefs, people on both sides of the issue said.
"This law has one purpose, which is to protect the ability of religious groups receiving millions of dollars of taxpayer money to deny adoption and foster care placements involving gay and lesbian parents," said Del. David L. Englin, D-Alexandria. "This isn't a 'conscience clause' — it's a 'state-sponsored discrimination clause.' "
But Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation of Virginia, said the legislation "allows these important agencies to continue doing the vital work they've been doing for decades. Despite claims of opponents, this legislation does not change who can adopt children in Virginia. The law is already clear on that issue. This simply protects those agencies that do the bulk of the child-placement work."
From staff and wire reports
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