GOP State Legislators and Governors Attack Women’s Rights

Jason Attermann — March 23, 2011 – 1:56 pm | Reproductive Rights | Republicans | Women's Issues Comments (0) Add a comment

Women’s rights are under attack across the country by GOP-led state legislatures and Republican governors.

In Florida, at least 18 bills have been filed in order to constrain a woman’s right to choose, including a bill challenging the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. The St. Petersburg Times reported:

The most significant proposal is a bill from Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Palatka, that would challenge the U.S. Supreme Court decision that guaranteed a woman’s right to choose. But without a companion in the Senate, it isn’t likely to progress.

Other bills, however, are moving quickly, and three made it through committee Tuesday, including the ultrasound measure that requires a woman to get one before undergoing an abortion and be asked if she wants to review the results.

‘This is about the right of a woman considering the termination of a pregnancy to possess all of the relevant information made available to her so she can make a fully informed decision,’ the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, told members of the House Health and Human Services Quality Subcommittee. ‘Knowledge is never a bad thing.’

And:

Similarly, a bill sponsored by Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, and Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks gestation, provides no exceptions for rape, incest and health issues.

Called the ‘Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act,’ that bill reasons that an abortion shouldn’t be performed at a gestational stage when the unborn child might experience pain. Current law allows abortions up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

Governor Rick Scott (R-FL) has made it abundantly clear that he will serve as a pro-life governor and restrict a woman’s right to choose.

 

In South Dakota, Governor Dennis Daugaard (R-SD) signed a bill into law requiring women attempting to undergo an abortion to wait three days (the longest waiting period in the country), and attend counseling sessions to discourage abortions. According to The Washington Post, Daugaard released a statement after signing the bill, saying:

‘I think everyone agrees with the goal of reducing abortion by encouraging consideration of other alternatives,’ the Republican governor said the statement. ‘I hope that women who are considering an abortion will use this three-day period to make good choices.’

The Washington Post also reported:

The law, which takes effect July 1, says an abortion can only be scheduled by a doctor who has personally met with a woman and determined she is voluntarily seeking an abortion. The procedure can’t be done until at least 72 hours after that first consultation.

Before getting an abortion, a woman also will have to consult with a pregnancy help center to get information about services available to help her give birth and keep a child. The state will publish a list of pregnancy help centers, all of which seek to persuade women to give birth.

And:

Jan Nicolay, co-chair of the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, which has opposed restrictions on abortion, said the measure would invade women’s privacy by forcing them to go to crisis pregnancy centers that are sham clinics set up to dissuade women from getting abortions. The law could violate federal requirements that protect the privacy of medical records, and it assumes that women cannot make decisions about abortions after talking with their families and pastors, she said.

‘Now, despite the fact that South Dakotans have repeatedly spoken on issues of government interference in private decisions, we will once more be pulled into a protracted legal battle that will potentially cost the state millions in tax dollars,’ Nicolay said in a written statement.

In other states as well, certain Republican legislators have made it clear that restricting women’s rights is a higher priority than job creation. Their actions are a constant reminder that the Republican Party cannot be trusted to fight for the issues of concern to the vast majority of American Jews.

 

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