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Virginia Senate Republicans yesterday blocked an attempted repeal of the state’s law requiring pregnant women who seek an abortion to first undergo a mandatory ultrasound examination. The reversal of the 10-month-old law was proposed by Democrats on Education and Health Committee, but was denied by an 8-7 vote along party lines.

Democratic members proposed overturning the ultrasound law in two separate bills, The Washington Post reports. And an attempted repeal of Virginia’s new standards requiring abortion clinics to meet the same structural standards of outpatient surgical centers—a requirement many clinics say will make their services more expensive if it doesn’t drive them out of business altogether—was also defeated.

The ultrasound bill was the most contentious item in Virginia’s last legislative session, originally mandating that the pre-abortion ultrasounds be vaginal procedures. After widespread public reaction, the bill was modified to require external ultrasounds. But, the Post reports, that change has led to some medical criticism:

The change was meant to soften the legislation, but critics complained that as amended, it mandates a test that serves no medical purpose. Doctors routinely call for vaginal ultrasounds before performing abortions, people on both sides of the issue say. Now they must also order an external ultrasound to comply with the law.

One of the bills defeated yesterday would have simply removed the phrase “transabdominal” from the law; the other would have repealed it entirely.