By Wanda Franz, Ph.D.

November 2023

Women’s Right to Know Act

For nearly fifty years, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton made abortion a constitutional right, keeping pro-lifers from passing laws to prevent abortions in West Virginia. Our goal was to reverse these pernicious decisions. This finally occurred in 2022 with the Dobbs decision. Here in West Virginia, we were able to immediately pass The Unborn Child Protection Act because we have wonderful, pro-life legislators.

However, passage of the new law resulted in dropping a number of pro-life pieces of protective legislation from the West Virginia code. West Virginians for Life seeks to pass a bill in this year’s session to reinstate informed consent laws. This includes providing information about the risks of, and alternatives to, abortion; the dangers of the abortion pill, along with the fact that the effects of such chemical abortion can be reversed; and providing information on disabilities (including support networks in West Virginia) to be given to parents when they are told that their unborn child has special needs.

This bill is called the Women’s Right to Know Act. The lead sponsors for the bill are Senator Patricia Rucker and Delegate Kathie Crouse. The bill will be ready to introduce on the first day of the session in January. Please watch for information on the progress of this bill through the legislative process next year. Feel free to sign the electronic petition and collect hard copies where you are able.