A Virginia Democrat apologized to her constituents for co-sponsoring a controversial bill that sought to lift restrictions on third-trimester abortions.

Del. Dawn Adams sent out a newsletter Wednesday night saying she “made a mistake” and did not read the Repeal Act introduced by Democratic Del. Kathy Tran before she agreed to be a co-sponsor.

The Repeal Act, which was defeated by Republicans this week, would eliminate the requirement that three physicians certify that a third-trimester abortion is necessary to prevent the woman’s death or impairment of her mental or physical health, as well as the need to find that any such impairment to the woman’s health would be “substantial and irremediable.”

Ms. Tran sparked a firestorm during a hearing Monday after she confirmed that under her bill, a nine-months pregnant woman could request only one doctor to certify an abortion while she was already in labor.

Ms. Adams, a nurse practitioner, said she mistakenly believed her colleague’s bill would only reverse the “onerous” abortion restrictions Republicans approved in 2012, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

“While it did, it sought to do much more,” Ms. Adams wrote. “Had I researched each line of removed language, I would have seen that, and known that there was more research to be done.

“I vaguely remember signing on to this, and I did this in solidarity with my colleague and as a symbolic gesture for a woman’s right to choose,” she wrote. “I am sorry that I did not exercise due diligence before this explosion of attention; had I done so, I would not have co-patroned.”

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