Allen: Amendment to personhood bill might clear up birth control concern

Former Gov. George Allen suggested Monday that amending so-called “personhood legislation” would make clear that the policy could not be interpreted as a ban on birth control.

Allen’s remarks came hours after the House of Delegates advanced legislation to define life as beginning at conception. Critics of the personhood legislation have suggested that some forms of birth control could be outlawed as a result.

“If that’s the case then put an amendment to it that says nothing in this bill shall prohibit the use of contraceptives,” Allen said when asked about that criticism in an interview. “I look at this measure as more protecting innocent unborn life. If a criminal hits a mother who’s carrying a child, then you’d have a cause of action for that child as well … Again, I would not want to ban nor would I ever support banning contraceptives.”

Late Monday evening, in response to a request for further clarification on Allen's comments, a campaign official said in an email that Allen has often stated that he is opposed to government banning contraceptives.

"He views the amendment may be worth debating though it seems it is a redundant expression of fact," said Allen spokeswoman Katie Wright. "It is his understanding that this personhood bill before the Virginia General Assembly is based upon a Missouri law which has been in effect for 20 years, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and does not and has not banned contraceptives."

State lawmakers also voted Monday to reject a Democratic amendment similar to the one described by Allen, widely considered the GOP frontrunner in this year’s U.S. Senate race.

The state personhood legislation is sponsored by Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William, a social conservative competing with Allen in the Republican primary.

Del. Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax, proposed an amendment stating: “Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as affecting lawful contraception.” The House voted 64-34 to not consider Watts' amendment.

Watts has said that forms of birth control that prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg could be on shaky legal ground if Marshall’s bill were to pass, a claim which he has denied.

Former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the Democratic frontrunner in the U.S. Senate race, used Monday’s vote as an opportunity to ding both Allen and Marshall on the contraception issue.

“I strongly disagree with the House of Delegates’ vote to enact personhood legislation. This reckless proposal, supported by my opponents, including Bob Marshall and George Allen, could threaten access to some forms of birth control for women across Virginia,” Kaine said in a statement released before Allen’s remarks were published. “Even when given the opportunity to reaffirm their support for contraception, Marshall and Virginia House Republicans rejected a measure to create a safe harbor protecting women’s access to birth control.”

Allen stressed that he does not support federal rules that would force religiously-affiliated institutions such as schools and churches to provide contraception coverage to their employees. President Barack Obama recently offered to tweak the planned Health and Human Services regulations after they sparked an outcry from the Catholic Church.

“On the Obamacare issue, there are those organizations who have deeply held religious beliefs and they’re opposed to it,” Allen said. “And I don’t think the federal government should be reducing their freedom of religion with such mandates or dictates for them to provide those services which are contrary to their religious beliefs.”

Allen also responded to the $3.8 trillion budget request Obama unveiled Monday.

“This one is a continuation, from what I can discern, of what we’ve seen the last three years, which is, over a trillion dollars in deficit spending annually,” Allen said. “He’s proposing higher taxes, the same sort of counterproductive energy policies that we’ve endured and so I see this as nothing more than what hasn’t been working for the last several years.”

Allen was in the Charlottesville area to speak to the Fraternal Order of Police lodge, saying he took many ideas on criminal justice issues from the Central Virginia law enforcement community when he was in Richmond.

Marshall expects his personhood legislation to pass without major issues today. The bill would then go the state Senate, which has a more conservative sheen this year after Republicans asserted control following the 2011 elections.