……..This week was not a good week for those who supported Vice President Kamala Harris. Losing is tough, especially when the campaign’s energy in the days prior to the Election seemed to be high. Supporters of Harris also had a lot of issues which were important to them riding on her election. Women felt the progress we made since the 1960’s would take a step back and the predominant issue seemed to be reinstating Roe vs Wade.

…….I’ve made no secret about supporting Harris, but I know how to lose. Heck, I’ve lost elections, my Dad lost his final election after 36 years in office, and my brother-in-law, the late Bill Webster lost several bids for Sheriff before he won. My family prided ourselves on winning, but also prided itself on how we conducted ourselves when we lost. My family knows how to lose and lose graciously. Back in the day, everyone went to the Courthouse and that included the candidate. My Dad had a rule. win like a gentleman or lady; lose like a gentleman or lady. That meant going to the candidate who beat you; offer congratulations; shake his/her hand; and ask what you can do to help the candidate. When candidates stopped going to the Courthouse, a congratulatory phone call was in order. My sister was once kind enough to give me my opponents’ phone number before the polls closed. She knew.

………It wasn’t easy, but it was classy and I adhered to the rules. (Except that one time Dad lost after 36 years in office. I laid on the floor sobbing and pounding my fist. The kids’ Dad looked frighted and said “Tamara, life isn’t over,” to which I replied, “shut up, life as I know it is over.” It was, but it must have been OK cause I went on to run for office and win and then, lose.

………The topic of banning abortion was a major campaign concern in Harris’s defeat. Women are viewing it as a step back in their fight to have control over their own body. The subject was volatile and what you heart in the commercial were the State’s whose abortion ban was restrictive (Texas) and had no exceptions. That’s not the case in West Virginia’s ban and I believe that is where pro-choice women should turn their attention. This is where you lobby your legislature to add an amendment to the existing law.

….. The major problem was that voters didn’t understand the situation. Harris couldn’t reinstate Roe vs Wade. The Supreme Court was the only entity that had the power to reverse its decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. The power of the Presidency was in appointing the Justices of the Supreme Court and since Justices serve for life, the only opening would have been in a justice retiring or dying and the Supreme Court was stacked to make that unlikely. There was no way any action on the Federal level could overturn the Justice’s decision on Roe V Wade..

……..The reversal of Roe V Wade did return the issue back to the States. Since West Virginia’s ban on abortion is in our constitution that would mean getting an amendment through the legislature to put the issue before the voters. Not an easy task, since it would require a 60 percent majority to pass the House and the Senate, but it’s been done. An amendment to the State Constitution allowed Video lottery machines in the prohibition against gaming. I would not bet on the State Legislation reversing the ban on abortion. It is even more solidly Republican than before and the votes aren’t there.

……..What I would think possible, however, is amending the provisions which are more onerous. But, first I would suggest you read Chapter 16 of the State Code. I did and was surprised that many of the exceptions women cited, were already in the code.

The points you may find of interest:

**The use of State funds (Medicaid) to pay for an abortion is illegal;

**In Vitro Fertilization is permitted;

**Abortion is permitted if the embryo or fetus is non-viable;

**Abortion is permitted if the pregnancy is ectopic;

**The prohibition against abortion shall not exist within the first 8 weeks if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest or

**A medical emergency exists;

**Informed consent requires that the women receive literature regarding abortion prior to receiving one;.

**Requiring 24-hour notification prior to receiving an abortion;

**In the case of a minor, require notification of parents prior to an abortion unless extenuating circumstances exist with the parent (harm could come to the girl).

……..In my opinion, there is no chance of reinstating Roe V Wade on a Federal level and little chance of the West Virginia Legislature reversing it’s ban. Where I think voters need to turn their attention is to amend those situations that a legislator who voted for the ban would consider the ban as having gone too far.

…….If the election did do anything it engaged the voters and turned them out to vote. Hancock County hit an all time high in voter turnout.

s

.