Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) gives remarks April 4 in Richmond urging Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign legislation that would legally protect the right to contraception in Virginia. Courtesy of Office of Senator Ghazala F. Hashmi
The measure to establish a right to contraception in Virginia is intended to preempt any future attacks on reproductive rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
As conservatives across the country erode reproductive rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Democrats in Virginia have backed a measure to protect against future attacks.
Democratic lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates in Richmond urged Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday to sign into law Senate Bill 237, which would legally protect the right to access and use contraception in Virginia. The group presented to the governor’s staff a petition with over 37,000 signatures calling on Youngkin to sign the legislation.
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) introduced the bill in response to the many new state-based restrictions around the country on reproductive rights following Roe’s reversal. In a concurring opinion to that US Supreme Court decision, Justice Clarence Thomas called for an overturning of Griswold v. Connecticut, a 1965 decision that became the basis for the right to contraception. Recent actions taken in Alabama threatening access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and Missouri, where one of the strictest abortion bans in the country went into effect after Roe was overturned, made codifying reproductive rights more urgent, Hashmi said.
“We’re moving to protect the access to contraceptive care and doing so in anticipation that we’re going to see a continued assault on reproductive rights across the country,” Hashmi said in an interview. “We want to make sure Virginians are protected despite what Republican majorities might be doing in other states.”
Youngkin has until April 8 to take action on any remaining bills passed by the General Assembly and amend the state’s two-year budget.
“The governor continues to support access to contraception while ensuring the protection of constitutional rights,” Youngkin Press Secretary Christian Martinez said in a statement to Dogwood. “As he evaluates this bill sent to his desk, he is thoughtfully considering both of these priorities.”
Should Youngkin veto the contraception access bill, Hashmi said she would file it again.
“We have to protect this medical right and not allow government interference in it,” Hashmi said.
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Virginians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at Dogwood has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Virginia families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Opinion: Comstock is Trump and the GOP’s backdoor to a national abortion ban
In an op-ed, Kate Kelly highlights how the 1873 Comstock Act, passed at the behest of Anthony Comstock — a man so obsessed with abortion providers,...
White House says health insurance needs to fully cover condoms, other over-the-counter birth control
The proposal comes days before Election Day, as Vice President Kamala Harris affixes her presidential campaign to a promise of expanding women's...
VIDEO: Virginia voter: ‘Our reproductive rights should not be on the menu’
Hear from a Virginia voter about the importance of defending reproductive rights. @vadogwoodnews Hear from a Virginia voter about the importance of...
Kamala Harris wants to end the Senate filibuster to restore national abortion rights
The Senate filibuster rule requires a 60-vote threshold for most legislation to pass, making it virtually impossible to pass abortion rights...
Fact-checking Trump’s lies on abortion during the presidential debate
Trump spent much of Tuesday’s debate lying about his position on abortion, repeatedly spreading conspiracy theories about Democrats executing...
Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, being turned away from ERs despite federal law
Even as the Biden administration publicly warned hospitals to treat pregnant patients in emergencies, facilities continue to violate the federal...
