Help us Protect Women's Health and Privacy

Tomorrow at 8:30am the Senate Education and Health Committee meets to vote on two bills introduced by Democratic Senators that would overturn Virginia's forced ultrasound bill.  Virginia Republicans last year passed a bill mandating an abdominal ultrasound before an abortion even if the woman did not want one or her doctor did not think it was medically necessary.  

Now is your chance to let the Republicans know what you think and help us protect women's health and privacy.  Call the offices of the Republicans on the Education and Health committee or come to the open committee hearing tomorrow morning at the General Assembly Building (right next to the state capitol in Richmond).

Click here to go to varepublicanoverreach.com for more information on how to act now.

Senate Democrats also have bills overturning Gov. McDonnell's abortion clinic regs that could force some clinics to close. A bill to protect Virginia women's right to contraception will also be heard. 

Last year Virginia Republicans went too far.  This year let's show 'em they need to stop moving Virginia backwards.

Donald McEachinVA Senate Democratic Caucus Chair

Media Advisory: Call on Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly to Compensate Sterilization Victims

Dr. James H. Bell was the superintendent at the Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded.

Media Advisory

WHO: Delegate Patrick Hope

WHAT: Call on Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly to Compensate Sterilization Victims

WHEN: Monday, August 6, 2012, 2PM

WHERE: House Briefing Room - General Assembly Building - Richmond, VA

RICHMOND- This year marks the 85th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Buck v. Bell decision, which upheld Virginia’s 1924 eugenics sterilization law, a model law used by many other states to sterilize their people. Under this law, Virginia forcibly sterilized 7,500 of its citizens they considered "undesirable," in the name of building a better society. Ten years ago, Governor Mark R. Warner issued a formal apology for the state's decision to sterilize thousands of Virginians. Today we call on Governor Bob McDonnell and the Virginia General Assembly to build upon this apology by providing a symbolic payment to the victims who are still alive.

It is both emblematic and responsible for Virginia to take the lead again on the issue of eugenics sterilization, but this time in becoming the first state to provide relief to the victims. It is appropriate for Virginia to set this example. We call on Gov. Bob McDonnell and the Virginia General Assembly to provide a symbolic payment to those victims of sterilization who are still alive. Compensating these individuals is the just and right thing to do.

Carrie Buck was a patient who was compulsorily sterilized.