Virginia House waters down pre-abortion ultrasound bill
Photographer: WMAR
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 02/22/2012
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Republican legislators have scrapped a bitterly contested proposal to require women seeking abortions to undergo invasive ultrasound imaging, likely dooming the bill.
The Republican-controlled House of Delegates voted 65-32 for an amended bill that requires only an external ultrasound, not the vaginal insertion of a wand-like device that emits ultrasonic waves.
The House amended the bill minutes after Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell came out against requiring the more invasive procedure. McDonnell shifted ground after the proposal drew outrage from women, national ridicule from television comedians and appeals from GOP moderates.
The amended bill now returns to the Senate where its sponsor, Sen. Jill Vogel, said she will strike the legislation. Anti-abortion legislation had been coursing through the General Assembly since Republicans recently took control of the state Senate.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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