Protect Abortion Rights? Virginia Democrats’ Vacation Plans Get in the Way.
The New York Times
Some Virginia Democrats want to codify abortion rights into state law in their final weeks in power. But several state senators do not want to upend their travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa.
Democrats have less than a month left controlling Virginia before Republicans take over the House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion. With the clock ticking, many in the party want to seize what they see as a fleeting opportunity: protecting abortion rights by codifying them into state law.
But Democratic leaders in the State Senate have dismissed the idea — and not on policy grounds or over concerns about political messaging. Several of the chamber’s members don’t want to change their vacation plans.
One senator is traveling in Africa. Others are in Europe. And the majority leader is headed to Hawaii.
