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Article: BILL ON MURDER OF FETUSES IS DEFEATED SENATE JUSTICE COMMITTEE ALSO BLOCKS MEASURE ALLOWING WOMEN TO SAFELY ABANDON THEIR BABIES.(LOCAL)
- Article from:
- The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)
- Article date:
- February 19, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the Dialog Corporation by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: HOLLY A. HEYSER THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
RICHMOND -- A Senate panel defeated a bill Sunday that would have made it murder to cause the death of a fetus at any stage of development - legislation viewed by some as a threat to abortion rights.
Though the bill, HB2403, would have exempted pregnant women who obtain legal abortions, critics said it would have bestowed ``personhood'' on all fetuses, giving abortion opponents a proverbial foot in the door.
Current law effectively sets personhood at viability - the fetus's ability to live outside of the womb. And state law already makes it a felony to intentionally destroy a viable unborn child.
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