CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – Earlier this week, the House of Delegates voted on House Bill 4007, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Despite the graphic name given to this bill, the legislation itself does nothing to change current medical practices for women or children.
“This bill is just more political propaganda designed to use in a postcard this fall,” Minority Leader Tim Miley (D-Harrison) stated. “West Virginians are tired of a Legislature filled with rhetoric and partisanship. We have real problems in our state that the Legislature should be addressing- like taking care of our children impacted by the drug epidemic and protecting insurance coverage for West Virginians with preexisting conditions.”
“We have so many good bills pending in the House Health and Human Resources Committee that could really make a difference in the lives of West Virginians- bills that protect children, expand Medicaid coverage to postpartum mothers and address our broken foster care system. Yet, the majority party decided to focus on a divisive, political bill the first week of session. It’s disheartening,” Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) stated. Delegate Pushkin serves as Minority Chair of the House Health Committee.
“This bill is nothing more than rhetoric designed to divide us. This bill is really not even an anti-choice bill, as the bill does not change the standard of care for women or children,” Delegate Cindy Lavender-Bowe (D-Greenbrier) stated. “We should be using the 60 days that we have here to pass meaningful legislation that would help the women and children in our state who need it the most.” Delegate Lavender-Bowe chairs the House Democratic Women’s Caucus. “We have hungry children, new mothers who don’t have healthcare, children displaced and neglected due to the drug epidemic and people who can’t afford the lifesaving medication that they need- what are we doing to help these West Virginians?”
