And good riddance. It sounds like the Governor saw this bill would be more trouble than it’s worth.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) revoked his support for the original bill just minutes before the House began debate on it, saying that the government did not have the power to require the transvaginal procedure.
“Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state,” McDonnell said in a statement. “No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure.”
Now that’s what Republicans should stand for. The state should not legislate which medical procedures are appropriate over physicians expertise and their relationship with their patient. The state should not discriminate against a class of citizens. A state should also not legislate unnecessary and therefore unlawful/unethical medical procedures. While I’m sure this was a purely political decision, he did Virginia a big favor. He’s saved the tax payers money by preventing the inevitable lawsuits in defense of this worthless legislation. He’s also kept the government out of people’s personal lives and doctor’s medical decisions. If Republicans actually stood for such principles consistently I might one day vote for them.
Update:
Obama leads Romney by 6% in Virginia, and by 10% (49%-39%) nationally according to Rasmussen polling.
Hmm. Maybe pissing off women by attacking contraception and reproductive rights isn’t such a good strategy after all?
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