2008 General Assembly: Sen. Edd Houck, Ed. & Health, Abortion votes

2008 Virginia General Assembly
Senate Education and Health Committee

Membership: Edd Houck (Chairman, D-17th District), Richard L. Saslaw (D-35th District), L. Louise Lucas (D-18th District), Janet D. Howell (D-32nd District), Frederick M. Quayle (R-13th District), Stephen H. Martin (R-11th District), Stephen D. Newman (R-23rd District) John S. Edwards (D-21st District), Frank M. Ruff (R-15), Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31st District), Harry B. Blevins (R-14th District), Mamie Locke (D-2nd District), George L. Barker (D-39th District), Ralph S. Northam (D-District 0), John C. Miller (D-1st District)

HB 429 Abortion; forced or coerced prohibited, penalty.

02/12/08 passed House (64-Y 35-N)

Summary as passed House:
Forced or coerced abortion prohibited; penalty. Provides that any person who forces or coerces a pregnant female of any age to have an abortion against her will is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, if such a violation is committed when the pregnant female is less than 18 years of age, the person is guilty of a Class 6 felony.

02/28/08 Senate: Passed by indefinitely [killed] in Education and Health (10-Y 5-N)

YEAS--Houck, Saslaw, Lucas, Howell, Edwards, Whipple, Locke, Barker, Northam, Miller, J.C.--10.

NAYS--Quayle, Martin, Newman, Ruff, Blevins--5.

ABSTENTIONS--0.

HB 894 Abortion; licensure of clinics.

Summary as introduced:
Licensure of abortion clinics. Requires all abortion clinics, defined as any facility other than a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center in which 25 or more first trimester abortions are performed in any 12-month period, to be licensed and to comply with the requirements currently in place for ambulatory surgery centers except the requirement for a certificate of public need. The Board of Health may also waive certain structural requirements.

01/22/08 House: Read third time and passed House (60-Y 37-N)

02/28/08 Senate: Passed by indefinitely [killed] in Education and Health (10-Y 5-N)

YEAS--Houck, Saslaw, Lucas, Howell, Edwards, Whipple, Locke, Barker, Northam, Miller, J.C.--10.

NAYS--Quayle, Martin, Newman, Ruff, Blevins--5.

ABSTENTIONS--0.

This is the first of a series of posts on Senator Ed Houck's votes pertaining to legislation that failed in the Senate Education and Health Committee which he chairs. Delegate Dick Black once called this committee the 'killing ground for all pro-family legislation."

Senator Houck represents the 17th Senate District which consists of: Culpeper County (All); Fredericksburg City (Part); Louisa County (All); Madison County (All); Orange County (All); and Spotsylvania County (Part)