On April 4, Governor Warner vetoed the “medically-induced infanticide” bill, introduced by Del. Robert Marshall (R-Prince William). On April 17, the Virginia House of Delegates voted 71-28 to override the veto but the override attempt failed in the State Senate on a 24-14 vote, three votes short of the required two-thirds majority.

“What Warner is proposing in his veto message would place no meaningful restriction whatever on partial-birth abortion,” said VSHL President Brenda Fastabend. She continued, “Governor Warner wants a law that is all exception and no ban. There are absolutely no medical reasons that require a partially delivered baby to be killed to preserve the life or health of the mother. There is nothing healthy about pulling a baby feet first out of his mother’s womb and then killing him.”

Ben Greenberg, director of government relations for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said, “We are pleased with his decision; it was a very wise decision.”

Warner’s veto message said that the bill did not contain a broad enough health exception and should only apply after viability. These exceptions would result in allowing partial-birth abortion on demand in the 5th and 6th month of the baby’s development - when the vast majority of such abortions are performed.

Six years ago, Mark Warner said that he disagreed with the sweeping grounds asserted by Bill Clinton when he vetoed a Congressional ban on partial-birth abortion. Yet now, Governor Mark Warner has issued his own veto.

“My bill has been examined by the highest medical authorities in Virginia, who informed the legislature that there is no medical circumstance when the procedure barred by H.B. 1154 is needed to preserve maternal health,” said Del. Marshall, the bill’s sponsor.

In a partial-birth abortion, a living baby is pulled feet first from her mother’s womb until all but the head is exposed. The doctor then punctures the base of the baby’s skull with a pair of scissors or other sharp instrument, inserts a suction tube, and removes the baby’s brains before completing the delivery of the now-dead baby.

Each year across America, partial-birth abortions are performed on 3,000 to 5,000 babies in the 5th and 6th month of pregnancy, sometimes even later. They are usually performed on perfectly healthy babies of perfectly healthy mothers. The American Medical Association says that partial-birth abortions are “not good medicine.”

“Governor Warner’s veto shows Virginians just how extreme he is on abortion,” stated Mrs. Fastabend.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, June, 2002