Virginia’s Democratic governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation allowing elective-abortion coverage to be included in insurance plans on the state health-care exchanges. Because health-care options on the state exchange often receive subsidies, this policy means that taxpayers will effectively be forced to fund elective abortions.

Prior to this revision, Virginia law allowed health-care plans on the state exchange to cover abortion only in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk.

In response to the news that Northam had signed the bill, Virginia’s two Catholic bishops condemned the new policy, calling it “tragic.”