Absurd Personhood Bill Dies: Is Sanity Breaking Out in Senate?

The sanity that broke out in Virginia's Senate is not complete, but it suggests that maybe somebody is listening and is intimidated--especially in an election year. The Senate pushed consideration of the ridiculous "personhood" bill, the one that gives us a fetus the same rights as a fully-developed human being, was voted off the island today by an impressive margin.

What that likely means is that Republicans are tired of being embarrassed by all this social issue stuff and that Democrats believe they can win a majority in the coming election and stop this absurdity before it even starts.

Here's some of the story in the Huffington Post. The whole thing is here. 

In an unexpected move, the Virginia Senate killed the state's personhood bill, a key victory for women's groups seeking to battle the current proposals on reproductive rights.

By a 24-14 vote, the Senate agreed to a motion by Senate Republican Leader Tommy Norment (R-James City County) to push consideration of the bill to next year's legislative session. A coalition of Democrats and Republicans in the tied Senate voted for the motion; six Republican and 18 Democratic senators voted to push consideration of the bill back. Two Democratic senators abstained.

The bill was expected to pass the Senate with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) providing a tie-breaking vote. Norment said he believed the bill needed more study.

The bill passed a Senate committee, with Republican support, earlier in the day, and it passed the Republican-dominated House of Delegates last week. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) had indicated that he would sign the bill. 

(Photo: care2.com)