The Virginia governor’s PAC claims “there is no ban,” just a 15-week “limit.” But Republicans in the state have been calling his proposal a ban for months.
Republicans across the country continue to do backflips to try to make their unpopular abortion bans seem less bad: They keep lying about ballot measures and trying to paint Democrats as the real extremists. Virginia is no exception, and the November 7 elections will determine the fate of abortion access in the state. While Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has insisted—and spent $1.4 million to say as much—that his 15-week abortion ban is a “limit” and not a ban, his Republican colleagues running for state House and Senate have been undermining his rhetorical gymnastics.
Republicans currently control the House of Delegates and Democrats control the Senate, but only by four seats each. If Republicans flip the Senate, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has made it clear that he expects them to pass a 15-week abortion ban. (Youngkin has been talking about passing the ban since the fall of Roe v. Wade and his PAC conducted all-women focus groups on the legislation this summer.) Virginia is the last state in the South that hasn’t restricted abortion after the fall of Roe and this would be devastating for access across the region.
