In 2021, our Governor, Glen Youngkin, our Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Sears, and our Attorney General Jason Miyares were elected on the message that Parents Matter! Virginians gave them a mandate that parent's rights would not be ignored in our Commonwealth. It’s disheartening to see the other side overlook that Virginia was the birthplace of this movement that has now swept across the nation. When introducing this amendment, they refused to consider any amendments we offered to ensure parental consent, shutting down those efforts entirely.

 Parental consent is a completely reasonable request to have in place before a child goes through, in their own words, a “medical procedure.” I cannot understand why anyone would disagree. It is outrageous that a child as young as 13 could walk into an abortion clinic, scared, with no idea what they are doing or the dangers of this procedure without a parent by their side. At best, she walks out, traumatized and alone; at worst, she suffers severe medical complications, even death, all without the parent's knowledge.

Why I find this so problematic is twofold: first, the lack of parental consent for a medical procedure, and second, allowing children to go through something they couldn’t possibly understand fully. If abortion were truly about healthcare, it would require parent's involvement in their child’s medical care. A child cannot get Tylenol at school or go on a field trip without their parent’s permission but could get an abortion without parental consent. 

Another large problem I had with this amendment is it goes beyond what is in Virginia’s code by saying if a baby is born alive during an abortion procedure, whether it is at 32 weeks or 39 weeks and that baby is born alive, it does not require that the doctor or anyone else provide medical care to the infant. In other words, the baby can lie there and die.

Both Pro-life and Pro-choice advocates often refer to long-standing debates about reproductive rights. However, this goes beyond those discussions—we are talking about a baby being born and then being denied life-saving care. A baby can be born as early as 32 weeks, yet decisions about its survival can still be left unresolved. Our previous governor expressed a similar sentiment, and Democrats assured us this was not their intent when outlining their goals for abortion legislation. So why does this new amendment allow a child, at any stage of development, to be born and then denied the care necessary to save their life?

These two issues are not about whether we should have access to abortion in this

country or being pro-choice or pro-life. These procedural problems go too far, and these two issues shouldn't be controversial. We need to take a hard look when this comes back for a vote again next year.

This is a stark reminder that elections matter, and these types of issues are not often discussed when it comes to this topic.

Shifting to a more positive topic, I’d like to highlight my legislation focused on supporting firefighters. I’m proud to share that SB 984 passed out of committee unanimously and will be heard in the Finance Committee later this week. This bill aims to strengthen the recruitment of firefighters and EMS personnel, focusing on supporting volunteer firefighters. Of the 45 fire departments I represent in the 9^th Senate District, only 3 have at least one paid firefighter. These dedicated individuals are in urgent need of funding, not only for recruitment efforts but also for updating facilities and equipment.

I’m both happy and optimistic about the prospects of this bill, as it has the potential to enhance public safety across the state. Firefighters and EMS professionals do so much for our communities, from providing life-saving care to protecting our homes from fires. I’m proud to play a role in supporting these heroes and ensuring they have the resources they need to continue their vital work.

As always, I encourage you to share your views, opinions, suggestions, and questions with me as they relate to legislation or state government. You can email my office at [email protected] or call us at 804.698.7509. And if you are in Richmond, be sure to visit my office at the General Assembly building. I am in Room 502. With the General Assembly session being shorter this year, my schedule is often unpredictable, but if I am available, I would enjoy the chance to say hello. If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, just email us, and we will get you added, please follow me on Facebook at Senator Tammy Mulchi.