VIRGINIA - Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation today that will protect reproductive freedoms, reaffirm the right to access contraception, and ensure more women can access critical reproductive healthcare in Virginia, according to officials with her office.
While at the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial in Virginia, which marks where suffragists were held during the Silent Sentinels demonstrations, Governor Spanberger signed the Right to Contraception Act into law. The act guarantees women in Virginia have the right to access and use birth control.
Specifically, it prohibits the state government and local governments from passing and enforcing laws that restrict the ability of Virginia residents to obtain contraceptives. This includes emergency contraception and IUDs.
Officials say the Governor also signed the Contraception Equity Act, which ensures health insurance plans cover contraception, including over-the-counter medication.
They add that Virginia is the only Southern state that has not further restricted access to reproductive healthcare after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.
