Debated issues come and go with each session of Virginia’s General Assembly—this year’s fan favorites are sure to include mental health reform and bad driver fees—but there is at least one topic ripe for debate among the state’s legislators year in and year out: abortion. With the new session on the horizon, organizers on both sides of the controversial issue are preparing for yet another session of legal wrangling over reproductive health care in the Commonwealth.
"We’re usually monitoring up to about 20 bills that would in some way limit access to reproductive health care services either on the ground or in the state code," says Becky Reid, local Planned Parenthood grassroots organizer. "This year, we’re really focusing on sexuality education."
 Becky Reid, local Planned Parenthood grassroots organizer, says it’s unfortunate that now fewer Republicans will support reproductive rights. |
As part of his plan to offset Virginia’s significant state budget shortfall, Governor Tim Kaine recently cut off state funding for abstinence-only education programs in public schools. Before the cut, Virginia matched federal grant dollars as provided by Title V of the Social Security Reform Act, which set aside federal funding for abstinence-only education. Some Republicans oppose the Governor’s move and want to restore abstinence-only education in Virginia. State Senator Ken Cuccinelli of Fairfax—who narrowly won re-election this year by a mere 92 votes—is planning on introducing legislation reversing the Governor’s decision to cut this funding.
A 2006 Virginia Department of Education survey revealed that 14 percent of local school districts have abstinence-only education programs. Reid, who opposes Cuccinelli’s attempt to revive these types of sex education programs, is pushing a "parents’ right to know" bill this upcoming session. Such a bill would inform parents of the sex education program in their school district, especially if that district provided abstinence-only education.
"Right now, a lot of parents assume that what’s being taught in the classroom is medically accurate and comprehensive," says Reid. "The medical support is not there, the research is not there and the parent-teacher support is not there for abstinence-only education."
In addition to bills concerning sex education, bills limiting access to abortion facilities will also arise in the upcoming session. Republican Bob Marshall of Manassas is planning to reintroduce Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) legislation, which failed in committee last session. TRAP legislation would require greater building space for abortion facilities, shutting down smaller clinics that fall short of the proposed guidelines.
Even though the Democratic shift of the State Senate is encouraging to reproductive health activists like Reid, it does not mean that these debated issues will be out of the spotlight anytime soon.
"A lot of the moderate Republicans we were able to work with in the past retired, so there is a more extreme slant to a lot of the Republicans holding office," says Reid. "It’s really unfortunate. Access to reproductive health care and teen education are bipartisan issues. They’re not restricted to one party."
The General Assembly reconvenes in Richmond January 9.
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