HB1677, Another Bad Bill

Virginia Delegate John Cosgrove, representing the 78th district has introduced HB1677 which would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor for a woman to fail to report a miscarriage within 12 hours of the event.

What business does law enforcement have in miscarriages?

Most women are going to have more on their minds at a time like that than telling the police that they miscarried. And what for? It’s not like
the police can do anything about it.

This is a a bill that has no purpose other than to put government deeper into our private lives.

Exactly what kinds of idiots are representing us in Richmond?

I sent this letter (or a slight variant) to my delegate (Plum) and to Cosgrove:

Mr. Plum,

HB1677, regarding the reporting of miscarriages is both not needed and a bad idea. I can’t imagine any reason why law enforcement should be involved when a woman miscarries. As you should know, miscarriages are not uncommon events and this bill serves only two purposes: to make women who have suffered a miscarriage to feel like a criminal by being forced to report it to the police or to make them criminals in fact by failure to report it.

What purpose does it serve to report these unfortunate events to law enforcement?

I urge you to oppose this bill and concentrate on solving the real problems that our state faces rather than any imagined problem this
bill seeks to address.

Regards,
Linda Thomas