VA Governor Rejects Religious Freedom, Defunding Planned Parenthood

Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia has rejected a measure that would have blocked taxpayer funds from going to clinics that kill babies.

“This bill, aimed at Planned Parenthood, would harm tens of thousands of Virginians who rely on the healthcare services and programs provided by Planned Parenthood health centers by denying them access to affordable care,” he said. “If we are going to build a new, more vibrant Virginia economy, we need to be opening up doors to quality, affordable healthcare, not closing them. I have promised to stand in the way of any and all attempts to interfere with a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions.”

The same governor also rejected a bill that would have protected businesses and religious organizations that object to servicing or participating in homosexual “weddings.” From the Washington Times:

The Democratic governor said the bill’s “legitimate” protections were redundant under the First Amendment and its “additional” protections were unconstitutional and discriminatory against gays and lesbians.
…
“Any additional protections are styled in a manner that prefers one religious viewpoint — that marriage can only validly exist between a man and a woman — over all other viewpoints,” he said. “Such a dynamic is not only unconstitutional, it equates to discrimination under the guise of religious freedom.”

The legislation would have prevented the state from punishing religious groups that refuse to provide wedding-related services to same-sex couples.

Earlier this week, Georgia’s Republican governor, Nathan Deal, also rejected a bill that would have protected the religious freedom of the people who put him in office.

Photo credit: American Life League (Creative Commons) – Some Rights Reserved