Senate's Vote Sets Tone on Abortion (VA)

[MountainLaurel]

The Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to cut off state funding to Planned Parenthood of Virginia because it offers abortions, an action that could endanger hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid for women's health-care programs.

The decision, a major setback for the Senate's new Democratic majority, marks the first time in more than a decade that the Senate has decided against giving state aid to the organization because of its abortion-related activities.

The GOP-controlled House has long pushed to cut off state aid for Planned Parenthood, but the moderate Republicans who controlled the Senate until this year fought off the effort.

On Thursday, however, all 19 Senate Republicans decided they would vote for the amendment sponsored by Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax), who is considering running for attorney general next year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022703733.html

[bliss_eternal]

1. Why does Virginia hate women...

...and glbt people?

:(

[MountainLaurel]

2. I wish I knew

I think these sorts of bills are coming from people who are scared of what they see happening in Northern Virginia, a multicultural region where all people can live together more or less. They are terrified that those "others" are gonna start moving to their part of the state. So, they react in the extreme. They want their women and people of color knowing their places, and their gays stuffed into the closet.

Virginia is one of those places where certain families have held power for generations. They see the economic power of a place like NoVa, full of newcomers who aren't like them, and they react in fear to the extent they can.

[bliss_eternal]

3. Thank you for the background...

...information. I appreciate it. I shouldn't be surprised considering the fact that such things generally occur during administrations like this. They feel free to oppress when the highest court seems supportive of such measures.