Members of the House of Delegates passed a bill that would ban a commonly used second-trimester abortion method.
Senate Bill 10 passed 86 to 13 in the House Monday.
This bill bans dilation and evacuation, or D&E, abortions. It allows those procedures to take place, however, in cases of medical emergencies. Some OBGYNs have testified before lawmakers that the bill takes away one of the safest options for women and interferes with the doctor-patient relationship.
The bill was on third reading with pending amendments Monday.
One amendment, offered by Del. Nancy Guthrie, a Democrat from Kanawha County, would have added a provision to allow for an elective D&E abortion if a woman was a victim of incest or rape if the rape is reported to a law-enforcement agency.
However, Del. Patrick Lane, a Republican from Kanawha County, pointed out that this provision was already covered in the bill, and the amendment was rejected on a role call vote of 16 to 82.
Senate Bill 10 now goes to the governor for consideration.