Swordsmyth
02-19-2019, 09:08 PM
Lawmakers in Missouri have introduced a new pro-life measure that would require both parents to be notified before a minor obtains an abortion.
Current state law requires just one parent to provide his or her consent before a minor obtains an abortion, but under legislation introduced by Republican state Representative Rocky Miller, both parents would have to be notified if a minor intends to terminate her pregnancy, though an abortion would still be permissible with the consent of only one parent. Exceptions to the notification requirement are outlined if a parent or guardian was convicted of child abuse or a sex offense, Life Site News reports (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-pro-lifers-introduce-bill-requiring-both-parents-to-be-notified-fo).
According to data from the state Department of Health and Senior Services, 125 out of approximately 4,000 abortions in Missouri in 2017 were for minors.
Pro-life advocates are hopeful that the bill would limit the number of abortions.
“These types of laws do save lives,” Campaign Life Missouri director Samuel Lee declared (https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bill-would-require-two-parent-notification-for-abortion-in-missouri/article_82fad98f-1f9a-5847-b959-650b75a3e44a.html). “Moms and dads need to be involved in the lives of their children — no matter how messy life can be sometimes.”
Lee notes that the legislation should be uncontroversial, as 65 percent of individuals who support abortion favor parental notification.
But abortion advocates have taken aim at the legislation, claiming it creates an obstacle for those seeking “timely care,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
“While there are different perspectives in the medical community, it is generally accepted that a preborn child’s heart starts beating by approximately 22 days after conception, and that the heartbeat can be detected by an early ultrasound exam from 6-8 weeks into the pregnancy,” the Missouri Family Policy Council notes (http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1102271207824&ca=05c958c9-7729-4828-a274-49ea479428f3).
H.B. 126 requires abortionists to check for a fetal heartbeat prior to abortion. If one is detected, an abortion cannot be performed and the women seeking abortions must be given the opportunity to hear it. Under the legislation, women are not punishable, but abortionists who fail to perform an ultrasound face the possibility of suspension and a $1,000 fine. Any abortionist who detects a heartbeat and moves forward with the abortion could lose his or her license permanently and be barred from applying for a new one, Life Site News reports.
“It’s true at conception there is a new distinct genetic organism,” Missouri State Senator Andrew Koenig tweeted last month (https://twitter.com/Koenig4MO/status/1078873760307052545). “If pro-choice Democrats found this kind of life on Mars they would cherish it.”
“I see in this country that we protect sea turtle eggs and we protect other endangered species of animals with a greater degree of scrutiny and zealousness than we protect a child in the womb,” Republican Senator Angela Hill, a sponsor of the Mississippi bill, tearfully argued during the debate.
More at: https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/family/item/31491-missouri-introduces-pro-life-parental-notification-abortion-legislation
Current state law requires just one parent to provide his or her consent before a minor obtains an abortion, but under legislation introduced by Republican state Representative Rocky Miller, both parents would have to be notified if a minor intends to terminate her pregnancy, though an abortion would still be permissible with the consent of only one parent. Exceptions to the notification requirement are outlined if a parent or guardian was convicted of child abuse or a sex offense, Life Site News reports (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-pro-lifers-introduce-bill-requiring-both-parents-to-be-notified-fo).
According to data from the state Department of Health and Senior Services, 125 out of approximately 4,000 abortions in Missouri in 2017 were for minors.
Pro-life advocates are hopeful that the bill would limit the number of abortions.
“These types of laws do save lives,” Campaign Life Missouri director Samuel Lee declared (https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bill-would-require-two-parent-notification-for-abortion-in-missouri/article_82fad98f-1f9a-5847-b959-650b75a3e44a.html). “Moms and dads need to be involved in the lives of their children — no matter how messy life can be sometimes.”
Lee notes that the legislation should be uncontroversial, as 65 percent of individuals who support abortion favor parental notification.
But abortion advocates have taken aim at the legislation, claiming it creates an obstacle for those seeking “timely care,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
“While there are different perspectives in the medical community, it is generally accepted that a preborn child’s heart starts beating by approximately 22 days after conception, and that the heartbeat can be detected by an early ultrasound exam from 6-8 weeks into the pregnancy,” the Missouri Family Policy Council notes (http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1102271207824&ca=05c958c9-7729-4828-a274-49ea479428f3).
H.B. 126 requires abortionists to check for a fetal heartbeat prior to abortion. If one is detected, an abortion cannot be performed and the women seeking abortions must be given the opportunity to hear it. Under the legislation, women are not punishable, but abortionists who fail to perform an ultrasound face the possibility of suspension and a $1,000 fine. Any abortionist who detects a heartbeat and moves forward with the abortion could lose his or her license permanently and be barred from applying for a new one, Life Site News reports.
“It’s true at conception there is a new distinct genetic organism,” Missouri State Senator Andrew Koenig tweeted last month (https://twitter.com/Koenig4MO/status/1078873760307052545). “If pro-choice Democrats found this kind of life on Mars they would cherish it.”
“I see in this country that we protect sea turtle eggs and we protect other endangered species of animals with a greater degree of scrutiny and zealousness than we protect a child in the womb,” Republican Senator Angela Hill, a sponsor of the Mississippi bill, tearfully argued during the debate.
More at: https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/family/item/31491-missouri-introduces-pro-life-parental-notification-abortion-legislation