VPM News Focal Point
Politics of abortion in Virginia
Clip: Season 2 | 5m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
Abortion is on the ballot in Virginia’s November election.
How the debate over abortion is impacting Virginia politics as both anti-abortion and abortion-rights advocates hope to pass legislation after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
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VPM News Focal Point is a local public television program presented by VPM
The Estate of Mrs. Ann Lee Saunders Brown
VPM News Focal Point
Politics of abortion in Virginia
Clip: Season 2 | 5m 30sVideo has Closed Captions
How the debate over abortion is impacting Virginia politics as both anti-abortion and abortion-rights advocates hope to pass legislation after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipLASHRECSE AIRD: Because when we fight.
>>We win.
LASHRECSE AIRD: When we fight.
>>We win!
LASHRECSE AIRD: Let's go win.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Former Virginia delegate, Lashrecse Aird, pumps up a crowd of canvassers before the 2023 Primary.
LASHRECSE AIRD: This is the end of trying to take away the freedom to choose.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: One year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, Virginia politicians are battling over reproductive rights.
Abortion-rights advocates endorsed Aird over Senator Joe Morrissey in Virginia's 13th District primary race.
Because of his support for legislation restricting abortion access, democratic voters in that district selected Aird.
LASHRECSE AIRD: And it is a testament to our community and our commonwealth that I'm standing here on this stage.
JAMIE LOCKHART: We knew that abortion was going to be on the ballot on June 20th and her commanding victory, she received almost 70% of the vote, showed that voters in that district, but we know similarly for voters across the Commonwealth, they want leaders who are going to stand up for reproductive rights.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Abortion- rights advocates are hoping Democrats take control of the House of Delegates and hold onto the majority in the Senate in the 2023 elections.
JAMIE LOCKHART: Then we can advance a constitutional amendment to really enshrine reproductive rights in our state constitution.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Lockhart says, even with a Republican governor, the legislature can push forward a change to the state's constitution protecting access to abortion.
The process takes time, it must be passed twice in two different legislative sessions, separated by an election.
If that happens, an amendment could go to voters in 2026.
JAMIE LOCKHART: Most abortions are taking place in the first 12, 13 weeks, the first trimester of pregnancy.
That in a lot of these situations, it's very difficult.
It's somebody getting a diagnosis later in pregnancy.
It's the pregnant person's health has taken a turn and their body is not able to continue that pregnancy.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Lockhart doesn't support any legislative restrictions on abortion.
She says the decision should be between a patient and their doctor.
JAMIE LOCKHART: We know that every pregnancy is unique and that pregnancy is complicated.
And so the idea that legislators can put forward an, you know, arbitrary cutoff for when people should have access to healthcare is not something that we support.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Now abortion-rights advocates are in a push to get supporters to the polls in November.
JAMIE LOCKHART: We're going to be out talking to voters about the importance of them getting engaged in this election, how important it is that they make their plans to vote.
And we're going to be talking to our supporters about their need to knock on doors to call voters to be engaged in their communities, to support our endorsed candidates.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: The Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs ruling removed federal protections for abortion access.
Now, anti-abortion advocates see November's election as an opportunity.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER This is a state by state situation since Dobbs.
We are all in this, looking at what's going on in our backyard.
How do we handle it here?
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Olivia Gans Turner heads Virginia's Society for Human Life.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER: Our goal is to pass the most protective legislation possible regarding protecting unborn children, their mothers, the elderly and those who live with disabilities.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: She says she doesn't expect legislation banning abortion in Virginia, but hopes for certain restrictions.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER: This is not a place where we're going to see rapid change with regard to the abortion question.
Currently, obviously there's a real roadblock in the Virginia Senate to achieve the goal of passing even moderate and reasonable protective legislation.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Gans Turner proposes restoring restrictions overturned by Democrats since 2020, and supports Governor Youngkin's proposal to limit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER: These are all excellent, excellent examples of what we believe people are responding to.
Candidates that respect the dignity of every human life and want to see rational, reasonable, moderate laws passed as soon as we possibly can.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Anti-abortion advocates are fighting against the constitutional amendment supported by many Democrats.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER: We've been trying to educate the public who may not have any idea that this bill already passed the Senate in Virginia once.
It was stopped in the house, but only by four votes.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: In addition to legislative solutions, Gans Turner says Virginia has some of the nation's most extensive networks supporting and encouraging pregnant mothers not to choose abortion.
OLIVIA GANS TURNER: And I'm hoping that part of the conversation that ensues at this point will not just be about how can we prevent abortions from happening, but how can we truly move the ball forward in Virginia to expand access to greater resources for any woman, any family, and any child, regardless of how that child came into existence.
ADRIENNE McGIBBON: Back in the 13th District, Aird thanked supporters on election night and promised to be a strong voice in the legislature to protect abortion access.
LASHRECSE AIRD: I stand before you and commend to not only fight to protect our reproductive rights, but all of those things that I talked about, our schools, our communities, making every single family feel valued.
They deserve that.
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VPM News Focal Point is a local public television program presented by VPM
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