West Virginia Abortion Ban Passes the House but With a Rape Exception (Updated)
The West Virginia House caved to Democrats’ and pro-choice Republicans’ pressure to include amendment for a rape and incest exception but passed a partial abortion ban out of the chamber.
The amendment allows abortion in certain cases of rape or incest. Namely when the mother would have to have reported the incident to law enforcement and only if the baby was less than 14 weeks old.
The West Virginia bill also contains clarifications that the bill will not apply to ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, or contraception that does not act to end the life of a unique human being at any stage of development.
Th House voted by a 69-23 margin to pass the limited abortion ban and it will now head to the state senate.
The special session which is considering the abortion ban bill, HB 302, was called by Governor Jim Justice shortly after the US Supreme Court held that abortion is not a constitutional right in the Dobbs decision.
