(MS) House commmittee OKs abortion ban (Political ploy by Democrat?)

[Sgent]

From the N MS Daily Journal

Pending in the House Public Health Committee was legislation that would have required a woman to undergo a sonogram before having an abortion. Public Health Committee Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, on Tuesday offered an amended proposal that would ban all abortions.

....

Holland, who in general has been a hinderance to many of the bills attempting to place additional restrictions on abortions, would not say for sure whether he would bring the bill up on the floor of the House. Only the committee chair has the authority to bring up legislation.

Holland said he hopes there is public debate about the issue during the next week. If the bill is brought up, it likely would pass; it passed the committee by an 18-4 vote.

Another feature of the bill is language, added by the committee, to require the state to provide the health care and education of all children.

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From an actual reporter rather than the AP -- there are some underlying issues here that are important. This bill was proposed by a Democrat who in general supports abortion rights (as much as any elected official in the state). This maybe a political ploy to get the second feature (guarentee for education & healthcare) into law.

Finally, abortion and always has been illegal in the state -- this law chagnes almost nothing. What it DOES change is it makes abortion legal in certain cases -- which its not currently now. This law, like the current law on the books, makes abortion mostly illegal, but it is unenforcable until the supreme court changes its mind.

[jsamuel]

1. hmmm... Get abortion, health care, and education all in together... then

let the SC (maybe) throw out abortion and keep the other two?

[Sgent]

2. Something like that

It very well may not make it to the supreme court -- as the district court & circuit court will overturn it.

There is no reason for a new law to be passed -- the same thing could be accomplished by the AG or Jackson DA by arresting the doctor who currently performs abortion. The abortion law is still on the books -- and needs merely a DA to try and enforce it.

This law provides other benefits AND chanages the current abortion law by loosening it (giving life exception).

[Hobarticus]

3. The "no exceptions for rape and incest" is a dead giveaway...n/t

[Maddy McCall]

4. Abortion has been illegal in Mississippi?

Do tell! I'd love to know more about it. When was abortion made illegal?

[Sgent]

5. Laws don't disappear because

the Supreme Court negates their enforcement. At least since the 60's, there has never been a time when it was legal to have an abortion under Mississippi law. Just as its legal to implement poll taxes in Alabama.

In both cases, federal law trumps the state law. However, if a DA or AG decided to challenge the court decision, they could enforce so called "unenforcable laws" and force a US District Court to overrule it.