2005 Virginia Senate Choice Scorecard

+   denotes pro-choice vote
-   denotes anti-choice vote
a   denotes absent or not voting

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District Party Senator Fname SB 456 - birth control is not abortion HB 2784 - TRAP SB 839 - TRAP SB860 - Contraceptive Equity Pro-Choice Voting Record
22 R Bell Brandon -       0%
14 R Blevins Harry - - -   0%
4 R Bolling Bill - - -   0%
28 R Chichester John -     - 0%
29 D Colgan Charles -     - 0%
37 R Cuccinelli Ken -       0%
25 D Deeds Creigh +       100%
34 R Devolites Jeannemarie -       0%
21 D Edwards John + + + + 100%
24 R Hanger Emmett -       0%
19 R Hawkins Charles -       0%
17 D Houck Edward + + +   100%
32 D Howell Janet + + +   100%
9 D Lambert Benjamin + + +   100%
2 D Locke Mamie +       100%
18 D Lucas Louise + + +   100%
16 D Marsh Henry +       100%
11 R Martin Stephen - - -   0%
5 D Miller Yvonne +     + 100%
33 R Mims Bill - - -   0%
23 R Newman Stephen a - - a 0%
3 R Norment Thomas -     + 50%
39 R O'Brien Jay -       0%
26 R Obenshain Mark -       0%
27 R Potts Russell + + + + 100%
38 D Puckett Phillip +       100%
36 D Puller Toddy +       100%
13 R Quayle Frederick + + +   100%
6 R Rerras Nick -     - 0%
20 D Reynolds Wm. Roscoe +       100%
15 R Ruff Frank - - -   0%
35 D Saslaw Richard + + + + 100%
8 R Stolle Kenneth -     - 0%
12 R Stosch Walter -     - 0%
30 D Ticer Patricia +       100%
7 R Wagner Frank -     - 0%
40 R Wampler William -     - 0%
10 R Watkins John -     - 0%
31 D Whipple Mary Margaret + + +   100%
1 R Williams Martin a     - 0%

1. Birth Control is not Abortion. S.B. 456 This bill was offered for the third year in a row to defeat. It stated that "Contraception (is) not to constitute abortion," and "shall not be subject to or governed by" abortion laws." The bill was introduced because some birth control devices, including the pill, prevent uterine implantation of a fertilized egg, which certain religions consider equivalent to an abortion. Some anti-choice legislators have therefore worked to restrict birth control. A hostile amendment was added to the bill (21-17), after which the sponsor withdrew the bill. A pro-choice (+) vote was against the amendment. (1/24/05)

2. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP). H.B. 2784. . This bill would have required clinics which provide abortions to meet the same licensing standards as ambulatory surgery centers or hospitals. Such regulations would be medically unnecessary, given that clinics already must comply with numerous guidelines and that abortions are one of the safest medical procedures for women. Such guidelines would likely close most or all clinics in Virginia which provide abortions. Failed before the Senate Education and Health Committee, 9-6. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the legislation. (2/17/05)

3. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP). S.B. 839. This bill would have required clinics which provide abortions to meet the licensing standards of outpatient surgical hospitals. Like the TRAP bill in #2, these regulations were intentionally cumbersome and medically unnecessary. Failed before the Senate Education and Health Committee, 9-6. A pro-choice vote (+) was against the legislation. (2/03/05)

4. Contraceptive Equity. S.B. 860. This bill would have required health insurers and corporations that provide prescription drug coverage to include coverage for any FDA-approved contraception in that coverage. Failed before the Commerce and Labor Committee, 9-5. A pro-choice vote (+) was in favor of the bill. (1/31/05)