WASHINGTON, D.C., June 19, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The state of New Hampshire took a step backward in the march to protect the most vulnerable unborn, while Michigan may enact one of the most important measures in its post-Roe history this week. The nation’s mayors have bucked many of their constituents by endorsing Planned Parenthood funding, led by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. And Utah dealt with an unusual case of exposure to obscene images.
New Hampshire
Democratic Governor John Lynch vetoed a bill to ban partial birth abortion in the Granite State on Friday. Although he stated he does not support the grisly procedure, he claimed the bill’s requirement that the physician who certifies that an abortion is necessary to prevent grave physical injury to the mother not be the same doctor who performs the abortion “could have serious consequences in emergency situations.” The bill passed both houses by veto-proof margins. Lawmakers may overturn the veto when they return to session on June 27.
Michigan
State legislators in Lansing are considering a bill that the state Right to Life has called the “largest collection of pro-life legislation ever addressed at one time.” The 40-plus page bill would make it a crime to coerce a woman into getting an abortion, limit abortion to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, and end “telemed” abortions, in which an abortionist prescribes an abortifacient drug without examining the patient and is often located in another state. The bill also raises the health levels state clinics must uphold and regulates how abortion facilities dispose of the bodies of babies killed inside the facility. Voting could begin as early as today.
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The House also passed a bill protecting the consciences of those studying psychology, counseling, and social work in the state’s colleges. The “Julea Ward freedom of conscience act” passed the House by a vote of 59-50. It is named after Julea Ward, the Eastern Michigan University student who was kicked out of a counseling program after she said affirming a homosexual relationship through counseling would violate her religious beliefs. The bill now goes to the state senate.
Washington, D.C.
While the trend of popular opinion runs against funding Planned Parenthood in many states, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution supporting the abortion giant’s lock on the public purse at its 80th annual conference in Orlando last week.
The resolution underscores “the importance of women’s reproductive rights” and instruct Congress to “pursue a positive agenda that…improves women’s access to…comprehensive reproductive-health care.” The two-page motion highlights the defunding of Planned Parenthood and Title X nationwide, bemoaning the fact that “states enacted twice as many anti-choice laws in 2011 as they did in the previous year,” especially the eight states that have adopted fetal pain laws.
“New York City is committed to supporting a woman’s right to choose,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the initiative’s chief sponsors. NARAL-Pro Choice President Nancy Keenan said the mayors represent “communities where the public-health programs and clinics under attack by members of Congress…we salute them for stepping up in support of women’s freedom and privacy.”