Franklin Graham Blasts Virginia Governor's Abortion Veto Threat

Evangelist and humanitarian Franklin Graham says the governor of Virginia has his priorities backwards.

Graham took to Facebook this week to denounce Gov. Terry McAuliffe for promising to veto a proposed bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.  

A Republican delegate had just proposed the legislation but McAuliffe told The Associated Press that he wanted to get out ahead of it to send a clear message to the Republican-controlled Assembly not to "waste time" trying to push pro-life efforts.  

Across the country, many pro-life groups have responded to the election of Donald Trump by planning new legislative campaigns at both the state and federal level.  Last month, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a 20-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape and incest.   Kentucky lawmakers worked this week on a 20-week ban measure with exceptions.

Normally, McAuliffe does not comment on proposed legislation but said that this time, he needed to let companies considering investing in Virginia know that the legislation would fail.  McAuliffe called the bill "socially divisive" and said "I can't sit back and have that sitting out the same time I am traveling the globe recruiting businesses to Virginia" adding "if there's something that would be damaging towards business and to our image around the country and the globe, I'll veto it, you bet I will."

On Facebook, Graham said McAuliffe's concerns are foolish.  "When we are worried more about our state image and making money than about protecting the lives of babies in their mothers' wombs, it's obvious we have a big problem," he wrote.

The Associated Press did not clarify as to why McAuliffe thinks the bill would damage business or how it is socially divisive.  A 2016 Gallup poll shows that 50% of Americans favor abortion restrictions while 19% say it should be illegal in all circumstances.