In a letter to the editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Tarina Keene, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia and former resident of Norfolk, takes Del. John O’Bannon (R-73rd) to task for his statements regarding . Below is the unedited version of the letter (links added for clarity).
To the Editor,
In the article, (Delegate O’Bannon Says Shields’ Charges Are False, September 18, 2009), Delegate O’Bannon continues to insist that his vote in support for HB563 would not have affected the ability for rape and incest survivors to obtain emergency contraception. This is the real false charge.
As the Delegate who is proud to proclaim his standing as the ‘only physician in the House of Delegates,’ Dr. John O’Bannon should know that emergency contraception and birth control are not medical abortions. They are dosages of hormones used to prevent pregnancy in the first place, and serve as commonsense measures to reduce the number of abortions.
HB563, however, was a thinly veiled attempt to expand the already-existing conscience clause, which allows doctors and other medical practitioners the right to refuse to perform an abortion- surgical or medical. The specific goal of HB563 was to give pharmacists and medical providers this same right of refusal when it came to birth control and emergency contraception- hormone dosages that prevent an unintended pregnancy. It is simply mind-blowing that someone who is so vocally anti-choice would also be so vocally anti-prevention. But, such is John O’Bannon’s record.
In his nine years in office, Dr. O’Bannon has voted against more than 35 anti-reproductive healthcare bills, including 2003’s SB1104, which would have legally acknowledged that contraception is ‘not subject to or governed by the abortion law,’ because it is not an abortant.
This is a Bob McDonnell moment for Delegate Dr. John O’Bannon. O’Bannon is being asked about a past action- a vote on HB563- and claiming it isn’t what it seems. I’m not all too surprised to find that Bob McDonnell, the notoriously anti-woman and anti-reproductive healthcare gubernatorial candidate, was, in fact, a co-patron of HB563. McDonnell’s agenda has been to deny women access to reproductive healthcare, and O’Bannon’s vote yielded more power to his ideological agenda.
To NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, it seems as though Dr. O’Bannon, delegate for the 73rd district, either failed to research what the bill proposed, or simply dismissed scientific fact about birth control and emergency contraception, despite being a doctor. Either of these options is frightening, and inexcusable.
Nine years as delegate is simply nine years too many for the women of Henrico County. When it comes to reproductive health care, these voters deserve better than Delegate Dr. John O’Bannon.
Tarina Keene
Executive Director, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia
Yes, better. As in Tom Shields.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
This was a foolish move by the Baby Killers.
Their organization is dedicated to murdering babies, while Doctor O’Bannon is a physician, dedicated to saving lives and healing the sick.
How did they think that by making such a gruesome contrast that they would somehow help Tom Shields?
They would have done Tom a better favor had they remained quiet.
Tom Shields is a good candidate, who if he was running against some lawyer or used car salesman, would have a good chance of winning. Unfortunately for Tom, he has to go against Dr. John O’Bannon, an accomplished physician and a Delegate who is wildly popular among his constituents.
The up side for Tom is that he will have great name recognition if he wants to run against Walter Stosch in the next State Senate election. However, Tom needs to carefully guard his sort of moderate image, in the eyes of the voters. NARAL is not helping Tom Shields; they should just shut-up.
The NARAL letter is a lie, plain and simple. The HB563 would have changed the law to read “Nothing in 18.2-72, 18.2-73 or 18.2-74 shall require (i) a hospital or other medical facility or physician to admit any patient under the provisions hereof or (ii) any physician, pharmacist or other medical or health care professional to dispense any birth-control pill or other medication for the purpose of performing an abortion.”
If the drugs in question are contraceptives, not abortificants, then they would not be covered. The bill would only have changed who was protected by the conscience clause, not what procedures and drugs were covered.
It seems a bit odd to call Plan B and abortion “reproductive healthcare.” Would they call a procedure that stops your heart “cardiac healthcare”?
Anon, I was always struck how their methods of “family planning” lead to not having a family.
BK-Really? I mean, really? “Planning” means you’ve got a choice. Don’t want kids yet? Use birth control. Ready for kids? Stop using it. I can appreciate that people have can have different, sincerly held, opinions on abortion. I’m pretty ambivalent about it myself. But opposition to contraception is just so far out of the mainstream it’s diffcult to imagine anyone holding that viewpoint. Oh, unless like Del. Marshall, you’re an strictly-observant Catholic. I can respect that. But in that case, you’ve got to realize that our system presupposes that your religious beliefs aren’t binding on anyone who doesn’t believe as you do.
Go to a “Planned Parenthood” office and tell them you and your spouse are having trouble conceiving, and see how much help they give you when you want to have a child.
Steve, if you choose to stop using birth control, do you need Planned Parenthood to do so?
They should change their name to Planned Nonparenthood.
I think that’s why we have ferility clinics, Anon.
You didn’t really mean that as a serious arguement, right?
Quite serious. They say they provide reproductive healthcare, right? So, what healthcare do they provide that promotes reproduction?
Once again I find it absurdly funny that OLD MEN are trying to restrict a woman’s right to chose.
As a man you will never be have to deal with being or becoming pregnant. You will never have to make the choice between having a baby without help or support or choosing an alternate method such as abortion. You will never know how it feels to be put in that situation. Until you do I don’t think you should be legislating against women.
I’m a proud member of NARAL, NOW, & Emily’s list as well as an advocate of Planned Parenthood.
It’s so easy just to label us baby killers but in essence we are trying to prevent that.
Have you ever been in a planned parenthood facility? Chances are no. Planned Parenthood offers gyno services & contraceptives to women that can’t afford health care.
It’s the Republican Party of No who are the baby killers. They would rather restrict your rights then legislate against social programs that would help prevent things like abortion or provide alternatives.
No one should ever be denied their right to choice..
Keep your laws off my body.
Excuses for baby-killing are just that — excuses. No matter the excuse, a baby still dies. It takes a sick person to be proud of 50,000,000 dead.