ReproWrap: theocrats are on full attack mode -- Care2Causes
Repro Wrap: It’s Not “Motorcycle Vagina,” But North Carolina’s at it Again
Robin Marty
In 2013, North Carolina created a massive omnibus anti-abortion bill so grotesque that they had to hide it inside a stripped out bill to sneak it into the statehouse — not once, but twice. Inserting everything in their “sharia law” legislation didn’t work out, so instead they had to eventually stick it inside a bill allegedly about “motorcycle safety.” Dubbed “motorcycle vagina” by reproductive rights advocates, the bill eventually passed and was signed, and as a peace offering the governor brought the advocates cookies to make up for stripping away their rights.
Now, the legislature is back for another round.
House Bill 465 has yet another plethora of anti-abortion restrictions all bundled up in one tidy package which the sponsors claim is necessary for “protecting women’s health.” One of the most onerous restrictions is a 72 hour waiting period, a three day length that is unfortunately gaining popularity as states enact them and no one challenges the restriction. Idaho, South Dakota and now Missouri all have three day waits, but this would be the first state out of the Mountain/Midwest region to test it out. The area already has a number of waiting periods either in effect or in the legislature currently, meaning that most of that portion of the country may soon require two in-person clinic visits anywhere from 24 to 72 hours apart.
The waiting period isn’t the only new thing in the bill. Abortions will only be able to be performed by OB/GYNs, rather than other physicians, massive gestational age documentation would need to be tracked on almost all second trimester abortions, the University affiliated hospitals would not be allowed to offer abortions or train doctors in abortion procedures, and it would tighten the cases in which an abortion after 20 weeks could be performed.
While the bill’s sponsors (most of whom are women) laud the bill as being pro-women’s health and safety, other lawmakers are more honest about its intention to force pregnant people to carry the pregnancy to term. As North Carolina Republican state Rep. Pat McElraft told the media, “We are multi-taskers here in the General Assembly. I am absolutely an advocate for jobs, but we can do lots of the things. And actually, when we can have a few more little taxpayers born, why not?”
“Abortion reversal” is hot in the news again, now that the governor of Arizona has signed that bill that included an amendment requiring doctors to say a medication abortion can be reversed into law. Doctors call the language “kind of crazy,” and New Scientist says it’s probably not true, but since when has that ever stopped anti-abortion legislation? Meanwhile, Arkansas is adding the same language into their new 48 hour waiting period bill.
Now that Purvi Patel has received 20 years in prison for the death of her fetus in Indiana, after suffering through what Patel said was a miscarriage, Indiana prosecutors are being blatant in their admissions that they really were jailing her for performing an “unlawful abortion.” So, be careful, everyone, since now without any proof that actions occurred to try to self-terminate, prosecutors can stick you in jail for pre-term birth.
In other news, Texas is about to pass a bill that will make the names of judges who approve abortions for minors public, which some worry will cause those judges to be harassed out of allowing the procedures. The Montana house has approved a “personhood amendment” although locals say Senate passage is unlikely. Alabama is reintroducing its “heartbeat” ban, which would make abortion illegal as early as two weeks after a missed period (and the state has a 48 hour wait for abortions as it is). Meanwhile, in Ohio, most people polled said they hate heartbeat bans, even as the legislature there is trying to pass one — for the third time.
In Montana, Zachary Klundt pleaded guilty to destroying the Kalispell abortion clinic last year. A prosecutor in Tennessee has resigned after it was learned that he made women undergo sterilization as part of plea bargain agreements. Also in Tennessee, the proposed ultrasound bill with a 24 hour waiting period has been pulled until next year, but an ASC building regulation bill continues to work its way through the legislature.
Abortions have gone down overall in the state of Kansas, but the number of second trimester abortions has increased by almost 10 percent. So of course Kansas is banning all second trimester abortions. Florida is trying to pass their new 24 hour waiting period and is so anxious to get it done, they only let two people testify in the 20 minute long hearing.
Finally, in good news, the Iowa mandatory ultrasound bill is dead.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of this? You should. According to Guttmacher, states have introduced literally hundreds of anti-reproductive rights and health bills so far this year.
So much for that laser-like focus on the economy.
http://www.care2.com/causes/repro-wrap-its-not-motorcycle-vagina-but-north-carolinas-at-it-again.html
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And the article didn't even mention that a state lawmaker turned down a school childrens' bill, as the kids watched proceedings, to name the red-tail hawk the state bird because it tears apart its prey like abortionists do with babies. Or another state's GOP trying to attach an anti-choice measure that was repeatedly denied to a bill started by school kids to give students a voice in the selection of administrator.
