CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state legislature completed action Monday and sent to the governor the bill that would ban second trimester dismemberment abortions.
The House of Delegates spent more than an hour debating the bill (SB 10) before passing it 86-13. The Senate agreed to some minor House changes and sent the bill to the governor.
Like most abortion debates in the House, Monday’s included emotional comments from delegates on both sides of the issue.
“It’s not any of your business and yet you’re making it your business,” Del. Nancy Guthrie (D-Kanawha) said claiming the bill would violate the doctor-patient relationship.
Del. Kayla Kessinger (R-Fayette) disagreed.
“We are not just talking about another limb on our body. We’re talking about a completely separate individual that has a right to life and that’s why it’s our business,” Kessinger said.
Other delegates argued the bill denies the best individual care for women.
“This bill is designed to deny access to a safe and common procedure in order to make it harder for women to seek abortion care,” Del. Stephen Skinner (D-Jefferson) said.
Some proponents of banning the procedure that takes place in the second trimester of pregnancy said they needed to speak for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.
“We cannot just turn out back on those persons and say that they can legally, without repercussions, legally and physically be torn apart,” Del. Tom Fast (R-Fayette) said.