Back to previous page  An abortion rights blunder in Virginia?
By ,  Eva Russo Associated Press Hundreds protest Virginia’s
mandatory ultrasound law, signed into law on March 6, at the
Virginia State Capitol. Two weeks ago I wrote about the abortion
rights movement’s big strategic success in Virginia. Advocates
had used emotional, highly charged language to rally supporters
against a mandatory ultrasound law that had already passed in
seven other states with little backlash or fanfare.  Fast-
forward two weeks: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed Wednesday
HB642, a law requiring women to obtain an ultrasound prior to
terminating a pregnancy. The abortion rights movement’s
strategic success could, at this point, also be read as a pretty
big blunder.  How did that happen? After such a strong backlash,
why did Virginia’s ultrasound law still become law? Most of it
has to do with what the abortion rights movement focused its
opposition on: A provision of the abortion restriction that
could be easily dropped, while