After abortion ruling, WVa could become 1st to pass new bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill up for a final vote in West Virginia's Senate could make the state the first to pass new legislation restricting access to abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling removing its protected status as a constitutional right.

Senators are set to meet Friday afternoon for a third reading of the bill, which some complained was not vetted in any of the chamber’s committees. If passed, it would head to the Republican governor, who has signaled he favors a statewide ban.

Gov. Jim Justice said during a media briefing earlier this week that the abortion bill “is so important, it’s off the chart. We need modernization to our law, and what we have on the books is ancient.” He didn’t indicate whether he would sign the bill that passed the House, and the governor’s office didn’t immediately return an email Thursday requesting comment on that version.

The House of Delegates passed the bill that would mandate prison time for medical providers who perform abortions earlier this week after allowing exemptions for victims of rape and incest up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The exemption also requires victims to report their assault to law enforcement. The bill provides other exceptions for an ectopic pregnancy, a “nonmedically viable fetus” or a medical emergency.

The vote in the GOP-dominated House on Wednesday came amid a protest from dozens inside the Capitol and followed a raucous public hearing in which most speakers — given just 45 seconds each to voice their opinions or be cut off — opposed the bill.

A parade of 90 speakers stepped to the microphone, including 12-year-old Addison Gardner of Buffalo Middle School, who posed a vivid hypothetical situation for lawmakers.

“If a man decides that I’m an object and does unspeakable and tragic things to...