This last weekend, I was at the annual WV Youth in Government session, where students from around our state go to the capitol to participate in passing laws, debating and learn about the workings of our state legislature.
On Friday, during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Youth in Government session, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin was escorted to the podium by student delegates and delivered a speech on why it was important for students to get involved in the governmental process, and complemented fellow democrat and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D-WV), who is running for U.S. Senate against Congresswoman Shelly Capito (WV-R). He then asked if anyone had any questions.
I as well as three other student delegates took this as a opportunity to confront him on his decision to veto HB 4588, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, banning abortions after 20 weeks.
Riley Keaton, a member of the student Governor’s cabinet, asked ” Governor, do you see to have a special session to address the minimum wage fix and fetal pain?”
Tomblin responded that he would be having a special session on May 19, 2014, to ‘deal with correcting the unintended consequences of the minimum wage bill, and one dealing with the appropriation of lottery funds,’ but failed to mention a session on protecting unborn children.
Holden Adkins, a student senator, who also lead the prayer at the beginning of the ceremony, was more specific and asked, “Governor, I noticed that in the past, you identified as being pro-life, so I was wondering why you just vetoed a bill that members sent to ban pain capable abortion.’
Tomblin responded that it was ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegal,’ because the Supreme Court ruled, in the past, that viability is around 24 weeks, and “leading experts” told him not to sign it.
I was still not satisfied, because he did not state what was specifically unconstitutional about the legislation. He just mentioned the court ruling as if it could not be changed, and as if this same bill had not been passed in ten other states.
I raised my hand.
“Governor Tomblin, about the 20 weeks situation, because actually I had a question on that too. What was unconstitutional about that legislation?” I asked.
The governor responded, “I can tell you that, basically that the courts have ruled, I’m not an attorney, but the courts have ruled that it’s according to experts that, I guess, the like a feeling of a pain in a fetus could be felt at 24 weeks.”
“Next question,” the Governor instructed.
Then he turned to his secretary and said something to her. While in session, I couldn’t make it out, but when I replayed the audio, I could very clearly hear what he said.
“One more question, we get out!”
We were making it too hot for him! He cannot even handle questions from students. He was completely unprepared, expecting easy questions like, “What’s it like to be the Governor?” but we were grilling him!
I raised my hand and was going to ask him where it specifically mentioned abortion in the Constitution and that doctors have found new information proving that babies can experience fetal pain at 20 weeks, but he just looked at me, and instead picked a girl in the back of the House.
She asked him, “What’s your opinion on women’s rights.”
So, we went from abortion to talking about the new liberal definition of women’s rights. haha
Then after Tomblin answered her question, I raised my hand again. He looked at me, and then ended his speech stating, “Thank you, very much appreciate it,” and began making his way down from the podium. As he walked by my desk, he looked at me, and I said directly to his face, “20 weeks, Governor.” He sarcastically mouthed, “Thank you.”
Tomblin is a common liberal politician. They are so uneducated, that they cannot even successfully debate students in areas that they are supposed to be educated on.
Just for the record, my bill for Youth in Government was the same bill that he vetoed in real-life. When my bill partner, Blake Williams and I presented our bill, we received much heat from progressive students and feminists, but we fought them back, proved the opposition wrong, and it passed the House, filled with over 150 students, with flying colors. Both West Virginian adults and students want this legislation to become law. The Governor needs to listen to his constituents.
I will also say that there probably would have been four students asking the Governor questions on why he vetoed the pro-life bill, but my bill partner literally fell asleep during his speech.
