TUESDAY... WEST VIRGINIA
GOVERNOR JIM JUSTICE ISSUED
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER SUSPENDING
ALL ELECTIVE
SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES IN THE
STATE TO PRESERVE
SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR
CRITICAL MEDICAL PERSONNEL.
ONE PROCEDURE THAT FALLS UNDER
THE ORDER IS
ABORTION. 13 NEWS REPORTER
HALEY KOSIK JOINS US IN STUDIO
TO EXPLAIN HOW PRO-CHOICE
ADVOCATES FEEL.
HALEY?
LILY... THE TERM 'ELECTIVE'
MEANS ANY MEDICAL PROCEDURE THAT
IS NOT AN EMERGENCY IN
PRESERVING A PATIENT'S LIFE.
PRO-CHOICE ADVOCATES BELIEVE
THIS EXECUTIVE
ORDER WAS NOT ISSUED TO PROTECT
WEST VIRGINIANS, BUT
RATHER TO FUEL A POLITICAL
AGENDA.
:00 - :18
:21 - :38
:48 - :59
GOV. JIM JUSTICE/
WEST VIRGINIA: "THIS IS BEING
DONE TO CONSERVE OUR PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR OUR
FRONTLINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS
THAT ARE BATTLING THIS TERRIBLE
VIRUS..." ON MARCH 31ST...
GOVERNOR JIM JUSTICE ISSUED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER IMMEDIATELY
HALTING ALL ELECTIVE SURGERIES
IN WEST VIRGINIA... WHICH
INCLUDES
ABORTIONS.
A.G. PATRICK MORRISSEY: "THIS
DECLARATION IS BROAD-BASED, IT
APPLIES TO ALL FACILITIES. WE'VE
HAD SOME QUESTIONS, YES, IT ALSO
APPLIES TO ABORTION FACILITIES
AS WELL, BUT IT'S A BROAD-BASED
PROHIBITION AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
GOVERNOR'S DECLARATION GETS
ENFORCED." ELECTIVE MEANS
ANY SURGERY OR PROCEDURE THAT
CAN BE SCHEDULED FOR A LATER
DATE OR ISN'T TIME-SENSITIVE.
JULIE WARDEN/COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR, WV FREE: "BECAUSE OF
THIS DATE RESTRICTIONS THAT WEST
VIRGINIA HAS PASSED, THIS
ACTUALLY IS A TIME-SENSITIVE
ESSENTIAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COME BACK AND
GET IT DONE AT A LATER TIME.
THERE ARE LAWS THAT WON'T ALLOW
TH EM TO DO THAT." IN WEST
VIRGINIA... A WOMAN CAN ONLY GET
AN ABORTION UP
TO 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY.
PRO- CHOICE ADVOCATES SAY
LAWMAKERS ARE USING THE
CORONAVIRUS TO STOP
ABORTIONS...ARGUING THE WOMEN
ARE MORE AT RISK WHO ARE SEEKING
TO
OBTAIN AN ABORTIONS OUT OF STATE
DURING THIS OUTBREAK.
JULIE WARDEN/COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR, WV FREE: "FOLKS ARE
GOING TO START TRYING TO TAKE
PRECAUTIONS AND TAKE MATTERS
INTO THEIR OWN HANDS, TRY SELF
ABORTIONS AT HOME, WHICH IS
GOING TO LEAD TO MORE
INDIVIDUALS NEEDING TO GO TO THE
HOSPITAL FOR
EMERGENCY CARE. DURING A
PANDEMIC, WHY WOULD WE WANT TO
DO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO
INCREASE FOLKS NEEDING TO GO TO
THE HOSPITAL, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE AT THE HOSPITAL, THOSE
PEOPLE NEED THAT CARE RIGHT NOW
AND ARE SICK."
WEST VIRGINIA IS ONE OF SIX
STATES THAT HAVE SIMILAR
EXECUTIVE ORDERS... INCLUDING
ALABAMA, IOWA,
OHIO, OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS.
REPORTING IN STUDIO... HALEY
KOSIK... 13 NEWS - WORKING FOR
YOU.
