NORFOLK, Va. - As anti-abortion groups gather for the annual March for Life rally in Washington Friday, a Virginia State Senate Subcommittee defeated three abortion bills.
On Friday morning, Democrats voted down three separate bills in the Senate Subcommittee on Health Professions.
One bill would've banned abortion after 15 weeks, which is an idea the Youngkin Administration is backing.
Another would've banned abortion, saying life begins at conception.
A third bill would've banned abortion during the second trimester prior to viability, which would be at least after 22 weeks.
"There's no one size fits all restriction or ban on people's healthcare, so I was glad to see that the committee rejected all three abortion bans," said Jamie Lockhart, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Because Democrats are in the majority at 22-18, they can block all abortion bills during this General Assembly session.
Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert told reporters last week any abortion legislation faces an uphill battle due to the makeup of the General Assembly.
"I would be very surprised if anything of substance comes out of this General Assembly on that issue," he said.
The full Senate Health and Education Committee will take up the bills again next week and they're expected to be rejected. "We agree with the votes this morning and look forward to these bills being defeated this legislative session," said Lockhart.
The votes happened just hours before the first March for Life Rally since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, sending the issue back to the states.
A group from St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Virginia Beach took a bus to attend the march. "We think that life from conception until natural death is extremely important. It's a tenement of our faith," said Rocky Natchus.
Despite Friday's legislative action, both sides are continuing the advocacy. A group held a Holy Hour at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church Friday morning in Virginia Beach. "We prayed for the unborn. We prayed for all life," said Barbara Firich.
All General Assembly seats are up for election later this year, a signal the debate is far from over in Virginia. "We do have a lot of work to do in November in the election when the Senate goes up," said Firich.
