West Virginia Passes Sweeping Abortion Ban

Facts

• W. Va. Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Fri. said he signed House Bill 302 into law, which bans all abortions except in the cases of nonmedically viable fetuses, ectopic pregnancies, medical emergencies, and rape or incest.
• The bill, which took immediate effect upon his signature, now makes performing abortions a felony punishable by 3-10 years in prison. It also threatens murder charges against providers if a woman dies as a result of the procedure.
• The bill will also immediately require abortions to be conducted by a physician within a hospital setting, prompting the state's only clinic to shut down. The criminal provisions won't go into effect for another 90 days.
• In terms of exceptions, pregnant minors may obtain an abortion for one of the specified circumstances up until 14 weeks of pregnancy, while pregnant adult women can obtain one up until eight weeks.
• W. Va. now joins over a dozen states to implement abortion bans. Most of them - unlike W. Va. - approved their "trigger" laws before the reversal of Roe v. Wade in anticipation of the SCOTUS ruling.

Sources: Forbes, ABC, FOX News, and Associated Press.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. Beyond the general cruelty of abortion bans, the bill Gov. Justice just signed provides a dangerously narrow window of opportunity within the so-called 'exceptions' provisions. Not only have women's rights been stripped away in West Virginia, but women's health and safety are now at incredible risk.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Tulsa World. This bill protects the fundamental human right to life. As Gov. Justice has stated from the beginning, he'd only sign legislation that protects the unborn while offering reasonable exceptions. This is what House Bill 302 does, and West Virginia proudly follows the lead set forth by the Supreme Court.