Day of Tears. (HR268)

Introduced By

Del. Ben Cline (R-Amherst) with support from co-patron Del. Dickie Bell (R-Staunton)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Day of Tears. Designates January 22, in 2017 and each succeeding year, as the Day of Tears in Virginia. Read the Bill »

Status

01/18/2017: Passed the House

History

DateAction
12/12/2016Committee
12/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17100911D
12/12/2016Referred to Committee on Rules
01/16/2017Reported from Rules with substitute (10-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
01/16/2017Committee substitute printed 17104274D-H1
01/18/2017Taken up
01/18/2017Committee substitute agreed to 17104274D-H1
01/18/2017Engrossed by House - committee substitute HR268H1
01/18/2017Agreed to by House (57-Y 36-N)
01/18/2017VOTE: ADOPTION (57-Y 36-N) (see vote tally)
01/18/2017Bill text as passed House (HR268ER)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 45 seconds.

Comments

Sally Mullikin writes:

HR268 I strongly oppose this. There is nothing positive about this and a waste of tax payer dollars. There is nothing this proves except to shame women.

Marie Stella writes:

A Day of Tears should be for the thousands of women, including mothers and girls who died from botched abortions or self mutilation because they were raped, were attacked by family members, were too poor or unable to get birth control, couldn't afford another child, couldn't get a needed abortion to save their lives. These so called "conservatives" have time and money to waste ($150k to promote a right to work law) on fake censorship, shaming women, but not a penny to expand health care, equal pay, pubic education...We must work hard to make sure their reign of terror ends soon. We need good candidates and a voting public...

Chris Scholz writes:

Why on earth are you wasting time on such meaningless bills like this when there are far more pressing issues the Commonwealth is faced with? This is nothing more than another way to shame women just as your beloved Cuccinelli and McDonnell wanted to do with their neanderthal anti-abortion beliefs and other clinical restrictions they desired to impose. Sorry Mr's Cline and Bell, this is not what we mean when we say "DO YOUR JOB!"

Rob Waters writes:

If the Virginia GOP put as much effort into fixing our infrastructure and budget as they did working up worthless bills to shame and intimidate women by attacking reproductive health rights that they're mad are protected by the Supreme Court... We would be an even better state. It's time to get these out of touch multi-term buffoons out of office.

Jarica Davis writes:

I vehemently oppose this bill.

Gail Gordon Donegan writes:

I vehemently oppose this awful attempt to shame women for having a medical procedure. Why don't we have a "Day of Tears" for all the kids killed by gun violence? Or a "Day of Tears" for kids who die from hunger and disease because their parents can't afford proper nutrition or health care? Abort this stupid bill.

Opal Stroup writes:

This is a waste of time and money. Just another attempt to force one's own ideology on others and to shame women who have made the best decision they could - often in tragic circumstances

David Hellman writes:

Typical Republican big government in action. As the great (would these days be a Democrat) President Reagan said, "There you go again!", sticking your government noses where it doesn't belong and wasting taxpayer dollars on flummery.

Samantha Villegas writes:

I vigorously oppose this cockamamie bill and am deeply offended by what it suggests. I urge the two legislators proposing this and any supporters of it to abort this idea immediately.

Aileen Winquist writes:

I oppose this ridiculous bill. We should declare the day that you wrote this bill as the day of tears for wasting taxpayers dollars. Instead of attacking women's health services, why don't you take on important issues like equal pay for women, parental leave, and programs and education for living children?

Mary Wright Baylor writes:

I vehemently oppose this bill. Why are you wasting your time in this nonsense? We have schoolchildren doing drills in case of an active shooter. Focus on gun violence prevention instead of shaming women. Abort this bill now.

Fred Ryan writes:

Well, maybe if also acknowledges all the children killed by firearms. It's a stupid bill, that I'm sure will pass because politicians care more about the unborn than the born.

Melissa Mendell writes:

I completely oppose this bill. What I choose to do with my body is NO ONE'S business. Why don't you actually do
something useful and vote on one of the many gun reform bills that you routinely kill in committee? You obviously don't care about the safety of Virginians. And this useless mysogynist bill proves it

Karen Vaught writes:

No big government, unless it supports the Republican agenda of interfering with women's healthcare and shaming them post-decision. Do not waste time on this ridiculous piece of legislation. Do meaningful work for the Commonwealth during this short session.

Christine Payne writes:

HR268 is an attempt at public shaming, nothing more. If republicans wish to hold on to any shred of dignity, they should focus on issues of fiscal responsibility and not waste taxpayer money on such a sham of a bill. Remember: the next election cycle is right around the corner.

Brenda Hill writes:

HR268 is a waste of time and taxpayer money. Republicans oppose abortion, but aren't interested in helping the children once they are born. Day of Tears should focus on children who need access to food, healthcare, clothing, shelter and a good education.
Let's set a goal for 2017 to get these people out of office.

MarVita Flint writes:

This is an insult to my rights as a woman, mother, wife and grandmother.

Ricard Altice writes:

HR268 should be adopted as it will remind people that abortion is the murder of an innocent life. Of the millions of lives needlessly snuffed out, how many would have been another Einstein or Tesla or Jefferson or MLK or Gandhi. This will memorialize those stolen lives and have us think about the potential that we are stealing from those innocents and teach us to soften the hardened hearts that advocate for this barbaric and torturous procedure. Women scream they have rights, which they do, UNTIL they are carrying a new life within them, THEN that life has unalienable rights also. Lets us never forget that God knew and dedicated us even before the womb.

JoAnne Norton writes:

This is a ridiculous bill. I witnessed my friend almost dying from a botched abortion. Abortions need to be a right of all women.

Bryant Dameron writes:

This legislation is pointless and mean-spirited.

Victoria Esarey writes:

I cannot believe that these crusading men have so little to do that they must create one more embarrassingly foolish bill with the object of pointing a finger at women's reproductive issues as if all those issues were exactly the same. Let's take the same money and enable all women across the State access to excellent medical care.

Eva King writes:

Unbelievable! This bill is an abomination, designed only to shame and insult women. If Republicans spent more effort on actually creating jobs, fixing infrastructure and working for their constituents as they spend on making up new big government initiatives to control and intrude into women's personal lives, we might actually get something done for this state! How about you actually act "pro-life", and not just "pro-birth", and ensure that children living in poverty have access to proper food, health care, and education?

Rob Waters - Activate VIrginia writes:

This resolution has passed the House of Delegates 57-36, more or less down party lines with 6 delegates not voting.

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?171+vot+HV1483+HR0268

Michele Bassett writes:

This is a waste of taxpayer dollars. If you truly are opposed to abortion, you would work to make birth control and sex education available to all Virginians. Time and time again jurisdictions that provide free or affordable birth control have seen abortion rates plummet. Public shaming accomplishes nothing.

Janet Watkins writes:

"58 million unborn children have perished." Well, you might believe that if you believe all developing fetal cells are actual children. But not all Virginians believe that. This is a divisive, polarizing resolution that marginalizes Virginians who value women's rights over fetal rights -- and marginalizes women who have made the choice to get an abortion. So, how about a Day of Tears instead for the estimated 43 million actual living, breathing children who have suffered from child abuse/neglect during the same time period the resolution references? Or a Day of Tears for Virginians whose lives are cut short by gun violence? Or a Day of Tears for children who go hungry? Or for women who rush back to work while they're still healing from childbirth because they have no paid maternity leave? Or a Day of Tears to lament the reality that some of our lawmakers are more interested in child birth than in helping actual children?

Louella Hill writes:

This bill is only to shame women. How about a DAY OF TEARS for all the children born into hopeless poverty? Or a DAY OF TEARS for all the children killed or injured by gun violence? This legislation is missing the point: Shaming women and encouraging restriction on their access to reproductive health care will increase the amount of pain and suffering. Separate church and state!

Joey Matthews writes:

Why don't we just introduce the same bill for all the billions of wasted sperm when men masturbate as well? We can even make the state song Monty Python's "Every Sperm is Sacred" for the day! I mean, while we're wasting taxpayer money, why not get a good laugh out of it as well?

Juniper Harrison writes:

Ok, fine, let's celebrate this nonsense by refusing to spend ANY money in ANY store in Virginia on Jan 22 as long as this idiocy is on the legislative books?
I'm boycotting my own state, geez.

MacKenzie Miller writes:

This will was a gigantic waste of time and I vehemently oppose it. Shame on all those who voted for this bill.