House endorses bill banning coerced abortions

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The House of Delegates approved legislation Friday that would make it a crime in Virginia to pressure a woman to have an abortion.

The Republican-run House approved the measure on a 71-27 vote. The bill, sponsored by Del. Robert Marshall, R-Manassas, now goes to the Senate, where abortion-related bills have been bottled up in committee. Under the legislation, which does not define what constitutes illegal coercion, anyone who uses “force, threat or intimidation” to convince a woman to have an abortion would be guilty of a misdemeanor and face a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. An individual coercing a minor to have an abortion could be sentenced to as many as five years in prison and pay a $2,500 fine.

“Some reports indicate that between 30 and 60 percent of all abortions are of children who were wanted by the mother but terminated due to coercion,” said Victoria Cobb, executive director of the Family Foundation of Virginia in a statement. “We are pleased that a super-majority of members of the House recognized this problem and supported this legislation.”

In other action Friday, the House easily passed bills adding to the list of crimes that qualify for the death penalty.

One measure, which sailed through on an 83-14 vote, says that any participant in a murder, even if he or she did not personally inflict the fatal wound, could be executed. Current law, known as the “triggerman rule,” specifies that only the person who shoots the gun or otherwise inflicts the fatal wound can be put to death. Other legislation winning House approval would make killing a judge or witness a capital crime.

The bills go to the Senate, which easily approved similar measures earlier this week.

“We are making Virginia safer,” said Sen. Nick Rerras, R-Norfolk, who sponsored the Senate bills.

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com

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