You want to know how serious Virginia Democrats are about protecting a woman’s right to an abortion? They’ve still got a couple of weeks to pass legislation protecting the right to choose, but then, that would impact their holiday vacation plans.
“They’re not going to be able to get back; flights are booked this time of year,” the majority leader, Richard L. Saslaw, said in an interview with the New York Times from California, where he was en route to Hawaii.
Other Democrats in the Senate, which Democrats hold by a narrow 21-19 majority, are in Europe. Another is headed to Africa.
The 2020-2021 General Assembly term ends early next month, at which point Republican Glenn Youngkin replaces Democrat Ralph Northam as governor, and the GOP takes majority control of the House of Delegates.
You can guess what chance pro-choice legislation will have with the turn of the calendar.
This as the U.S. Supreme Court is at least poised to roll back Roe v. Wade, if not overturn it altogether.
“We’ve got two years to do our job each term, and I don’t know why we wouldn’t use all the time to do our jobs during that term. If not for Roe, for what?” said Sally Hudson, a Democratic delegate from Charlottesville.
Northam would have to call a special session to get the General Assembly back together, but Democratic leaders are doubting that there’s time to do that at this late stage.
Which makes no sense when you consider: the November election was six weeks ago.
Time is only lacking because of a lack of action.
Maybe it’s not so bad after all that this version of the Democratic Party of Virginia was swept out of office last month.
It’s time we see a Democratic Party here that actually wants to do something other than get re-elected.
Story by Chris Graham
Share
Contributors
