Earlier this month, pro-abortion Democrat Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s office filed for a lawsuit — backed by a coalition of pro-abortionists — to be dismissed.
The lawsuit was represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. The Virginia leader of Planned Parenthood and several abortion clinics in the state challenged five laws which require the following:
- Second trimester abortions to be performed in a hospital
- Abortions must only be performed by a physician
- Medical facilities providing more than four first trimester abortions per month must undergo strict licensing requirements
- Patients must undergo an ultrasound and counseling 24 hours before an abortion, requiring them to make two trips to a clinic
- Abortion is a class 4 felony if the requirements are not followed
This lawsuit placed AG Herring in difficult territory, as he was forced to choose between backing state law and siding with those he agreed with on abortion. “Many of the challenged laws are decades old, some of the challenged regulations are under active review, and plaintiffs make powerful arguments that certain other requirements warrant reconsideration by the Virginia General Assembly,” wrote Deputy Solicitor General Matthew R. McGuire. “But a federal courtroom is not the proper venue for debating the wisdom of these policies.”
The Virginia Society for Human Life (VSHL) said it “commends this action and agrees with the Attorney General that the appropriate place for legislative matters to be addressed is in the general assembly where the will of the people can hold sway.”
We need to see more of this in our political realm today. Attorney General Mark Herring was able to place his personal opinion aside and focus on allowing the general assembly, which represents the people, to make the decision that their constituents are expecting them to make.
Our political system needs to begin relaying power to state representatives, not place all of the power in the hands of one individual.
