Gov. Bob McDonnell signed the controversial fetal ultrasound bill Wednesday against the advice of the Senate's resident pediatric neurologist Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, who throughout the debate over the measure has argued against requiring women to have an ultrasound done before getting an abortion, saying it's medically unnecessary and an infringement on the doctor-patient relationship.
“I am personally embarrassed and extremely disappointed in our governor’s refusal to exercise common sense,” Northam said Thursday.
Two weeks ago Northam sent a letter to McDonnell urging him to drop his support for the legislation, that opponents, including Northam, say is "emotional blackmail" designed to discourage women from receiving an abortion.
In the letter Northam explained why from a medical perspective requiring a woman to undergo an ultrasound before an abortion is medically unnecessary and such decisions on care should be left to the professionals and their patients.
“Elected officials need to concentrate on addressing our crumbling roads, underfunded schools, and high unemployment rate, and let doctors handle the immediate health care needs of their patients," Northam wrote. "What you are doing is mandating that doctors perform a completely useless test, a requirement that is far more invasive of personal liberty than the individual health insurance mandate you so adamantly oppose.”
But the doctor from Norfolk's appeal fell on deaf ears in the governor's mansion.
“I wrote the governor a very sincere note, and haven’t received as much as an acknowledgment, never mind a response,” Northam said. “The bill has made our commonwealth an object of ridicule in the national media, and Virginians expect better leadership. From an administration that touts smaller government and less regulation, such an unnecessary and costly unfunded mandate which assaults the patient-doctor relationship is hypocrisy in its worst and most insulting form.”
Read Northam's full letter to Gov. McDonnell here:
Lets start calling and trying to schedule OB GYN exams with all these politicians at their offices.... they are practicing medicine after all
Posted by: Farid Alan Schintzius | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 10:14 PM
wo le ge qu Moncler Vest Sale
Posted by: Moncler Vest | Monday, March 12, 2012 at 10:07 PM
The last time Virginia mandated a medical procedure was in 1924, when it mandated the compulsory sterilization of "the feeble minded". That was a disgusting part of Virginia history.
Now in 2012, Virginia is making infamous history again. Governor of Virginia will go in history ash having mandated a forced medical procedure on the citizens of Virginia.This is shameful government intrusion. It is time to get very serious about insuring that there will be candidates that will announce that they support a woman's right to choose. I, for one, will be working diligently to ensure that women are represented by sane, thinking people. We will no longer elect people that will vote for an ideology that seriously infringes on women's rights. We will work to ensure that our representatives understand separation of Church and State.
Posted by: Shelley Napier | Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 03:42 PM
The Governor obviously has a low opinion of women as he signed this the day prior to International Women's Day. It's amazing how he does not give women the credit to make their own informed decisions. This is a sad state of affairs - if this approach continues, I will do everything to prepare my children to not live in Virginia once they become adults.
Posted by: DLG | Friday, March 09, 2012 at 02:52 PM
It's sad that the Religious Right has gotten control of the Virginia House and Senate, and Governor's Mansion. We liberals and moderates must work hard before the next election to bring forth viable candidates to defeat these misguided people.
Posted by: Chris Astle | Thursday, March 08, 2012 at 12:13 PM