RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - HB1, the so-called 'personhood bill', will not be passed into law this year in Virginia. [Read HB1]
The full State Senate voted 24 - 14 Thursday to send the bill back to committee. That effectively killed the bill for 2012, Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw (D - Springfield) told CBS 6 anchor Sam Brock.
The bill, which sought to provide rights to unborn children at every stage of development, starting with a fertilized egg, was passed by the Senate Education and Health Committee earlier Thursday. It had previously passed the Virginia House of Delegates.
Opponents of the bill viewed it as a step towards banning abortion.
The bill's sponsor, Del. Bob Marshall (R - Prince William) denied that was his intent.
A crowd heckled Del. Marshall outside the meeting room following Thursday's vote. Police had to restrain one woman who was yelling at the lawmaker.
Earlier this week more than one thousand people held a silent protest at the Virginia State Capitol to urge lawmakers to vote the bill down.
