I've already let McDonnell know if he lets it become law, I will not vote for a Virginia Republican until the law is repealed. http://amcit.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/an-open-letter-and-a-promise-to-virginia-governor-bob-mcdonnell/

I agree with Senator Saslaw who told Republicans, "Don't any of you campaign on: 'We're gonna keep the government out of your business.' You might try voting the way you campaign."

If McDonell signs into law a bill demanding an unnecessary medical examination, he will never be on a winning ticket for the Presidency especially after Republicans killed Senator Howell's amendment requiring health insurance companies pay for the procedure.

This law is tyrannical. It is wrong. It requires women to pay out of pocket for an unnecessary medical examination mandated by Republican men.

A. Will Radle, Jr.
www.VA8.com

How odd. The party that always spouts off about keeping big gub'mint out of their lives. They always seem so eager to make laws to tell you who you can marry, what religion to follow, and what to do with your private parts.

HOWEVER, they want to allow businesses to run WILD, free from those pesky regulations. Allowing them to pillage and have their way with citizens.

If you think they are on your side you have been fooled. If you are of modest means and you think that they care about you and that they want you to prosper you couldn't be more wrong. You are nothing more than a cash cow that must be kept in line.

I believe that even with the current composition of the Supreme Court these sorts of bills are likely to be deemed unconstitutional, if only by a 5-4 margin. The excuse that they only attempt to give women necessary facts is obviously specious given that they focus only on a very narrow range of facts designed to lead towards one direction rather than a full range of facts, such as the costs and potential complications of having a child.

Once again, government feels they can infringe upon reproductive rights of all women. There is a legislatative group that will do anything to get around ROE v. Wade. This is just another attempt to interfer with a personal right to choice. I will do what I can with my votes, to ensure that none of the individuals that voted for this bill get re-elected. Voting is still our right, until they go after that!

Just another embarassment for the State of Virginia. McDonnell just sealed his fate relative to any national office.

One of the biggest issues I have with this (other than it being something that should be discussed between a woman and her doctor) is the fact that the Republicans frame is as a "women just need all the information" issue. Hey, guess what, women are smart. They understand what happens when you get pregnant. An ultrasound that is unecessary (unless doctor required) does not help the thought process. Instead, it just creates an undue burden on the woman who already has this decision to make. Making a seperate doctor's appoint 24 hours before a procedure, not providing insurance help if needed, and making sure there are very few exceptions is ridiculous! If you're requiring me to do something, you better damn well pay for it! Too bad the Republicans really aren't the party of "small government"....it's only "small government" if you're a rich white male. Jerks.

Yes, the are couching this as an "informed consent" law. What malarky! Sen. Howell introduced 8 Amendments Sen. on the floor yesterday trying to reduce the impact of this rediculous bill after the vote failed to recommit (postpone for another year) it. Of those 8, the only one that passed was to exclude victims of reported incest or rape. If this truly was an "informed consent" bill, why would anyone need to be excluded? The condescending arogance of the rhetoric should be enough to make most of "take pause." The gist of their argument for the bill was "We are just trying to help women (and their doctors) understand what they are doing." Pompous a@#$# is all I can say.

Karen and Nicole, you are absolutely correct. A passionate minority of Republicans have taken over. They wrongly assert medical doctors need instruction from legislators, they assume women are ignorant. It's a sad week in Richmond and the Commonwealth.

It's partly our own fault. Democratic Senators lack the backbone to challenge Bolling's vote to stack the committees. They should have been before Virginia's Supreme Court the first week of the session in January.

Republicans will lose their majorities because of this radical ideology.

A. Will Radle, Jr.
Democratic VA8 Candidate
www.VA8.com

It's hypocritical. The republicans want to repeal the health care law and then turnaround and "require" an ultrasound?

Memo to Old Town Alexandria Patch -

The bill NEVER required trans-vaginal ultrasounds. The word 'trans-vaginal' NEVER appeared in either bill.

The bill was an update on Virginia’s informed-consent law, which is ALREADY on the books as women MUST give consent for an abortion to be performed. The bill did not require a particular kind of ultrasound, but did mandate that the “standard medical practice in the community” for an ultrasound be followed.

So doctors, not the governor nor the house of delegates nor Republicans, would be the one's dictating the type of ultrasound used. Planned Parenthood clinics as well as 99% of clinics across the country ALREADY require ultrasounds as part of any type of abortion.

Why do Doctor's do ultrasounds for an abortion? So that they can get the correct gestational age and to determine the proper type of procedure to perform. Considering that not all abortion clinics do ultrasounds, the new law wasn’t meant to do anything but make sure no women fell through the cracks.

It's sad that liberals can't have an honest debate anymore.

T - You are missing the larger point. Yes, the trans-vaginal ultrasound is the only way to determine gestational age in early pregnancy, but the fact that government should be making laws that mandate any kind of medical precedure is the outrage. By their own account, these legislators are "just trying to help the little ladies understand". How condescending is that? Women are fully aware of the ramifications of their actions. InwWhat century are these people living?

@T -

Considering that the type of ultrasound is dependent upon when the baby is large enough to move out of the pelvis, and that every woman and every baby is different, and the new law was based upon the standard medical practice in the community, it is wrong to claim:

"The supporters did conveniently forget to mention that an ultrasound at less than 10-12 weeks would *have* to be done trans-vaginally."

Especially considering that around 1/2 of abortions are done less than 12 weeks.

Personally, I don't care whether a woman gets an abortion or not. I firmly do not believe taxpayers should foot the bill for it. A bill I would be totally behind is complete defunding of Planned Parenthood at the state and Federal level.

The Republicans lost the messaging on this because of the dishonesty on the left side of the aisle which has been backed up by the media as you can see in the above poll.

@William -

"Then you believe the bill is pointless, I presume?"

Not necessarily.

Did the woman in VA Beach who was hospitalized due to a botched abortion at Planned Parenthood receive 'standard medical care?'

See: http://redalexandriava.com/2012/01/11/new-911-tape-reveals-botched-abortion-at-virginia-planned-parenthood/

What I am simply trying to point out is the dishonesty in the debate over the bill. The bill was designed so that no women could fall through the cracks.

As Chief Judge Edith Jones of the Federal Appeals Court in Texas wrote about a similar law in Texas, a law that requires women to have a sonogram 24 hours before an abortion, Judge Jones said the state has “legitimate interests in protecting the potential life within her.”

“Denying her up-to-date medical information,” Jones wrote, “is more of an abuse to her ability to decide than providing the information.”