In Virginia, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell recently signed a law requiring women to get an ultra-sound prior to receiving an abortion. The procedure is forced on women, as well as, medically unnecessary. If you live over 100 miles from an abortion provider, you must wait 24 hours before the abortion can take place. The bill originally mandated an invasive trans-vaginal ultra-sound, but was removed after public pressure. Even Governor McDonell walked back his position on that part of the bill, mainly because of the perceived overreach by the Virginia legislature, and how it would reflect on him as a possible vice presidential nominee.
In Pennsylvania, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett endorsed that states ultra-sound abortion bill claiming that if women didn't want to see the state mandated procedure they could, "just... close your eyes." A Corbett spokesman said later his comments were taken out of context by liberals, "trying to make this into a political issue instead of stating fact." The same type of bills passed in Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas, are currently pending court challenges. Idaho is debating similar legislation, but is facing mounting pressure from women's groups, and my be dead, at least this year.
In Utah, Republican Gov. Gary Herbert signed a law extending the waiting period for women seeking an abortion from 24 hours, to 72 hours. This same law was adopted in South Dakota, but was struck down by the courts.
In Kansas, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has said he will sign pending abortion legislation in his state. The bill would allow doctors to withhold information from their patients, and be safe from malpractice charges. It further says if the mother died during the abortion, because the doctor gave misinformation, that too was protected from legal action. Women would also be forced to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus. All tax deductions for providers, or tax credits for patients would be removed. Finally, women would be told abortions increase your risk of breast cancer, which is an out write lie, legalizing misleading and false information in the State of Kansas.
In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is backing a move by state legislators to amend the state constitution on abortion, known as the Life Defense Act of 2012, or House Bill 3808. Doctors who perform abortions in Tennessee could see their names listed online, and women who undergo the procedures could be unintentionally identified under a bill pending in the state legislature. Demographic information on patients would include age, marital status, race, number of children they currently have, and their county of residence. It would also force doctors to have a hospital affiliation in order to perform abortions, clearly a move to stop the procedure in rural areas. “I think publicizing this information will do nothing but cause serious consequences,” said state Rep. Gary Odom, D-Nashville. “This is dangerous. This is a dangerous piece of legislation.”
In Arizona, Republican Governor Jan Brewer is supporting a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, raising the question of when the fetus feels pain, and would include the malpractice provisions found in the Kansas law. State Rep. Terri Proud (R-Tucson)reportedly wrote an email to a constituent saying that women should witness an abortion before having an abortion. Personally I'd like to make a law that mandates a woman watch an abortion being performed prior to having a "surgical procedure". If it's not a life it shouldn't matter, if it doesn't harm a woman then she shouldn't care, and don't we want more transparency and education in the medical profession anyway? We demand it everywhere else. Until the dead child can tell me that she/he does not feel any pain - I have no intentions of clearing the conscience of the living - I will be voting YES."
In addition to the abortion ban, the Arizona Legislature is considering bills to defund Planned Parenthood, allow doctors to withhold information from patients to prevent abortions, and to allow employers to opt out of contraception coverage for religious reasons. The contraception bill also would allow employers to demand women provide reasons for why they are using birth control and allow for firing if it is for non medical reasons.
When you look at the staggering and inventive ways the Right is using to undermine abortion rights, and women's rights in general. It hard to believe they counter this argument by saying liberals just want to scare women? Really? Liberals aren't legislating fear, misinformation, lies, public humiliation, and intrusive medically unnecessary procedures. The facts are clear, and they can put whatever kind of spin they want on it. The war on women is real, and it's being championed by the Republican Party.
No comments:
Post a Comment