New Utah Law Requires Doctors To Tell Women That Abortion Induced By Pill Can Be Stopped, Despite No Evidence Proving Claim
In news from other states' debates on the abortion issue, an Oklahoma lawmaker defends his antiabortion legislation that does not include an exception for cases of rape or incest, saying such pregnancies are instances when “God can bring beauty from ashes.” And in Montana, state senators advance a measure seeking to protect "pain-capable" fetuses.
The Associated Press:
Utah’s Governor Signs Abortion-Halting Legislation
Utah’s governor signed legislation on Saturday that would require doctors to inform women that medication-induced abortions can be halted after taking just one of two pills, despite doctors’ groups saying there is little evidence to back up that idea. (Golden, 3/25)
The Washington Post:
Oklahoma Lawmaker Defends Pregnancy From Rape And Incest As ‘Beauty From Ashes’
In defending his controversial antiabortion legislation, Oklahoma state Rep. George Faught said that even in pregnancies that result from rape or incest, “God can bring beauty from ashes.” Faught made the statement during a debate on the Oklahoma House floor earlier this week. Faught’s bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House on Tuesday, would outlaw abortions sought by women based solely on a diagnosis of Down syndrome or other genetic abnormalities. A fellow lawmaker criticized the Republican from Muskogee for not including an exception for pregnancies that resulted from rape and incest. (Phillips, 3/25)
The Associated Press:
Montana Bill Seeks Abortion Ban On ‘Pain-Capable’ Fetuses
The Montana Senate on Friday advanced a proposal seeking to extend protections to so-called “pain-capable” fetuses. If approved, Montana would join more than a dozen states adopting laws protecting pain-capable fetuses. The measure is one of a pair of anti-abortion bills that continued moving through the Montana Legislature. Earlier in the week, a House committee further advanced a bill that would effectively ban all abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy by requiring doctors to save a fetus. (Calvan, 3/24)