W. Va. Gubernatorial Candidate Russ Weeks Criticizes Gov. Manchin For Increase In Number Of Abortions

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 25 Jun 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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West Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Russ Weeks, a strong abortion opponent, has "seized upon" a recent report by the state Department of Health and Human Resources showing an increase in the number of abortions in 2006 to criticize antiabortion Gov. Joe Manchin (D), the AP/Charleston Daily Mail reports. According to the report, the number of abortions in West Virginia increased by 22% to 2,037 in 2006 -- representing about 8.7% of pregnancy outcomes in the state for that year. However, West Virginia has one of the lowest abortion rates in the U.S., and initial figures for 2007 suggest a decline in the number of abortions.

According to the AP/Daily Mail, Manchin consistently has been endorsed by West Virginians for Life and signed a law in 2005 that treats fetuses as separate victims during acts of violence against pregnant women. However, Weeks said the increase in abortions in 2006 shows that Manchin has "done nothing" to reduce abortions in the state. "It's just the typical politician paying every group lip service and saying, 'I'm going to be everything to everybody,'" Weeks said, adding that if Manchin "were not just paying lip service, he would have put pressure" on the Legislature to pass antiabortion measures.

Manchin disputed Weeks' claims and also turned down Weeks' call to ask the Legislature to consider a bill that would further limit Medicaid funding of abortions during a special legislative session that begins on Tuesday. "The regular session is the place for those kinds of policy discussions," Manchin said, adding that he believes the abortion issue in general "should not be made a political football." Manchin said his record opposing abortion rights speaks for itself, adding that he has asked the health department for details about increases in the number of abortions in 2006.

Nancy Tolliver, director of the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership, said, "The data is more realistic if you look at it over a 10-year period because the numbers really are so small." She added that the data for 2006 are not "necessarily significantly going to tell us that we're having a trend." Tolliver cited the availability of medication to induce a medical abortion as a possible reason for the increase. She added that the health department's annual survey also "pretty consistently" finds that about 42% of women who give birth in the state considered their pregnancies unintended (Messina, AP/Charleston Daily Mail, 6/23).

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