Last night, Governor Warner vetoed the "medically-induced infanticide" bill, introduced by Delegate Robert Marshall (R-Prince William).

"What Warner is proposing in his veto message would place no meaningful restriction whatever on partial-birth abortion," stated Brenda Fastabend, President of Virginia Society for Human Life. "Governor Warner wants a law that is all exception and no ban. There are absolutely no medical reasons which 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," Mrs. Fastabend stated.

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.

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 partial-birth abortions are "not good medicine."

"Governor Warner's veto shows Virginians just how extreme he is on abortion," stated Mrs. Fastabend.

The Virginia Society for Human Life was founded in 1967 and is the Virginia affiliate of National Right to Life Committee, the nation's largest pro-life organization.