Legislature 2008: Abortion (Updated)

West Virginians for Life has renewed its push to end "state funding for elective abortions for poor women," arguing that would "decrease the number of abortions in the state as a whole," MetroNews reports (with audio).

"Records indicate the Department of Health and Human Resources paid almost $400,000 for 798 abortions in West Virginia in 2006," the report said.

But an official with the group argues "the majority of those abortions were elective, meaning rape, incest or a health threat to the mother were not reasons for those abortions."

"West Virginia is one of 16 states that funds abortions for women who cannot afford one through Medicaid coverage," MetroNews reports. "In 1993, the Legislature passed a law that would have kept taxpayer dollars from being used in that way. A State Supreme Court ruling overturned that."

Update: MetroNews followed up Wednesday with the executive director of the pro-choice group West Virginia Free (audio here).

Margaret Chapman told Talkine host Hoppy Kercheval that "We're talking about poor women who may already have several children who don't want to be pregnant and, if they can't afford an abortion, how are they going to afford a child?"

Chapman also cited the 1993 court ruling. "They (those proposing the bill) know it to be so and it's really tragic because they are attacking West Virginia's poorest women," she told Kercheval.