Democratic Governor Responsible for Republican Takeover of Legislature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Kristen Day
(202) 220-3066
September 16, 2014
Veto of Bill to Ban Late-Term Abortion Bill Hurts Democrats
WASHINGTON, DC – As predicted by Democrats for Life of America, West Virginia Republicans claimed both the state Senate and the House of Delegates for the first time decades as a result of a Republican “guilt by association” campaign that blamed the Democratic Party for the failure of the Pain-Capable Child Protection Act.
Democrats For Life cautioned Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on May 16, 2014, that his veto of the Pain-Capable Child Protection Act (HB 4588) would deliver the legislature to Republicans and requested an upcoming special session that included the bill for reconsideration.
“When Governor Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed the pro-life bill, he chose to ignore the legislative process and played a part in a disastrous national democratic strategy to promote abortion,” said Kristen Day, Executive Director of Democrats for Life.
Governor Tomblin vetoed the Pain-Capable Child Protection Act (HB 4588) after the session had ended denying the legislature the opportunity to override his veto.At the time of his veto, democrats controlled both the House of Delegates and the Senate. The legislation was proposed and supported by Democrats. Not a single Republican cosponsored the House bill. Nineteen of the twenty-nine votes in the Senate were Democratic. A majority of Delegates supported the bill.
Conservatives seized the opportunity to use the veto to target democrats for defeat by using a guilt by association strategy. Republicans called for new leadership.
“The pro-life Democrats in West Virginia were proud of passing the pro-life legislation. They could not understand why Governor Tomblin, a self-avowed, pro-life Democrat would veto a bill to ban late-term abortions and not allow them the opportunity to override the veto. The votes were there, said Day. “Yet Governor Tomblin choose to follow what has been a failed Democratic National Party strategy to fabricate a “war on women” and ignore the values of the voters in his state.”
Democrats For Life of America was founded in 1999 to mobilize Democrats at the local, state, and national levels. DFLA’s primary mission has been to elect pro-life Democrats, support pro-life elected officials, promote a pro-life plank in the Democratic Party platform, and achieve legislation that fosters respect for human life.
Democrats for Life of America is one of over 200 member organizations of Consistent Life, an international network for peace, justice, and life.
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