CHARLESTON — CHARLESTON — Two big hurdles remain for its bill to clear the Legislature in this final week, but West Virginians for Life says it is gearing up for an ultrasound signing ceremony with Gov. Joe Manchin.

After a marathon session that spilled into Monday night, the House Health and Human Resources Committee sent the measure on to the judiciary panel.

Half a dozen amendments were offered, all of them in futility, including a pivotal one by Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, that would have removed an obligation to show patients ultrasound results if such imaging were taken.

“What Delegate Fleischauer was going to do was actually put the burden on the woman,” Karen Cross, president of West Virginians for Life, said Tuesday.

“And these sometimes are young girls that don’t know to ask or are afraid to ask. In fact, there have been some times where women have actually asked to see the ultrasound image of their child and have been denied.”

The idea is to force doctors to offer the image an hour before an abortion is scheduled to be performed.

Fleischauer denounced the legislation as demeaning to women and as a potential threat to physicians by exposing them to lawsuits.

“I think this is insulting to women,” she told fellow panelists before the health committee.

Voting first against her amendment and then in favor of shipping the bill out were these regional lawmakers: Delegates Bill Wooton, Sally Susman and Rick Moye, all D-Raleigh; and Margaret Staggers and Dave Perry, both D-Fayette.

The lone legislator in this region to vote with Fleischauer on the amendment and against the bill itself was Delegate Tom Campbell, D-Greenbrier.

Cross has said the measure could influence a woman to abandon the procedure once she sees an ultrasound image.

“The bill we have in place protects her and allows her the right to see that ultrasound image,” Cross said.

“She has that option an hour ahead of time. It’s very, very simple. Unfortunately, there are some people that might be afraid she’ll change her mind.”

Earlier, in a Senate hearing, Margaret Chapman, representing WV Free, suggested the ultrasound bill would likely have little, if any, effect on West Virginia’s abortion rate, among the lower in the nation.

Intended to update the Woman’s Right to Know law that calls for a 24-hour waiting period during which a patient is to be instructed on the full ramifications of abortion, the measure now is in the hands of House Judiciary Chairman Tim Miley, D-Harrison.

Pro-life bills traditionally clear the House easily, except the debate both in committee and on the floor is often long and taxing, unlike the Senate, which passed the ultrasound in less than five minutes.

“He’s a good man,” Cross said of Miley. “I believe he’ll put it on the agenda. It looks as if we’re going to be having a bill-signing this year.”