Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed Wednesday to bar state funding for abortion services — except as required by federal law — a gesture to social conservatives that likely will have limited effect. Neither the governor’s office nor Planned Parenthood said they believed the measure would restrict state Medicaid dollars for the top abortion provider, which religious leaders are pushing to be defunded.
McDonnell, a long-time abortion foe, proposed the broadly written restriction as part of a larger set of amendments to Virginia’s two-year budget. Lawmakers will have a week to consider the governor’s alterations before returning Wednesday for a one-day reconvened session in which they can override the amendments or write them into law.
Under the federal Hyde Amendment, federal dollars can be used to end a pregnancy only in the case of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.
“Planned Parenthood is a qualified Medicaid provider of abortion services allowed under federal law,” said McDonnell spokeswoman Stacey Johnson. “By federal law, states cannot prevent a specific group from being a Medicaid provider.” Virginia Planned Parenthood receives about $32,000 a year in state Medicaid reimbursements, which pay for services such as Pap smears and gynecological exams, said spokeswoman Jessica Honke.
McDonnell’s abortion amendment is likely to reignite a perennial rancorous debate when lawmakers reconvene in Richmond.
“This is just an ideological, political issue, it’s a way for conservative politicians to prove their chops with the pro-life movement,” said Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria.
The 96 budget amendments also include millions of dollars in new spending, which would be offset partly by increasing the fine for speeding from $5 per mile over the limit to $6. The governor said he would seek to strike a measure allowing local governments to mandate their employees contribute to a share of their pensions, up to 5 percent of payroll. The provision had been backed by cash-strapped local governments but opposed by groups representing public employees, who argued the shift would break a long-standing agreement that localities fund workers’ pension share.
