By Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Several controversial bills expected to pass during this year’s session of the West Virginia Legislature did not make it through the process.
House bill 4004, which would have banned abortions at 15 weeks with limited exceptions, sat in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee for almost a month before being quickly sent to first reading on Friday. But that was as far as it went since Saturday was the last day of session.
The House passed the bill with a strong margin in mid-February.
The bill mirrors legislation passed in Mississippi and that case is now pending at the U.S. Supreme Court after the state was sued claiming it is a violation of the federal law, Roe v. Wade, which allows abortions up to viability (can live outside mother), at about 24 weeks.
The High Court is expected to make a decision by June and options include holding up Roe vs. Wade as it is, giving states more latitude, or leaving it up to the states all together…
