RICHMOND, Va. - Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Tuesday his veto of House Bill 2264, which which would cut off federal Title X funding for Planned Parenthood and any other groups that perform abortions in Virginia.
The bill passed the House on February 7 in a 60-33 party-line vote. It passed the Senate on February 14 with 20 yes votes and 14 no votes.
"Without access to reproductive care and the freedom to exercise choice, women are denied the choice to make deeply personal health decisions," said McAuliffe. "It's time that our General Assembly understands that we have a responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of women."
Del. Ben Cline, R-Amherst, sponsored the legislation, which Republicans overwhelmingly supported and Democrats vigorously opposed.
Cline said his bill would direct the Title X money Virginia receives to more than 140 federally qualified and rural health clinics in Virginia. The legislation “ensures that hospitals, federally qualified health clinics and rural health clinics are funded prior to abortion centers,” he said.
Cline introduced an identical bill in the 2016 legislative session. It passed both the House and the Senate but was vetoed by Gov. McAuliffe. An attempt to override the veto in the House fell one vote short.
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