The War On Women: Weekly Round-Up

It keeps on coming.

More news from South Dakota. Last week, a state bill designed to expand the definition of justifiable homicide to include killing someone in the defense of an unborn child was postponed indefinitely. So instead the legislature passes HB 1217.

In addition to the horrifyingly, condescending language in the bill which essentially claims women don't have the where-with-all to make decisions for themselves, is the clause stating women will have to receive counseling from a state-approved pregnancy help center. Yes, those are Pregnancy Crisis Centers -- more about that later.

Section 1. That chapter 34-23A be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

The Legislature finds that as abortion medicine is now practiced in South Dakota that:
(1) In the overwhelming majority of cases, abortion surgery and medical abortions are scheduled for a pregnant mother without the mother first meeting and consulting with a physician or establishing a traditional physician-patient relationship;
(2) The surgical and medical procedures are scheduled by someone other than a physician, without a medical or social assessment concerning the appropriateness of such a procedure or whether the pregnant mother's decision is truly voluntary, uncoerced, and informed, or whether there has been an adequate screening for a pregnant mother with regard to the risk factors that may cause complications if the abortion is performed;
(3) Such practices are contrary to the best interests of the pregnant mother and her child and there is a need to protect the pregnant mother's interest in her relationship with her child and her health by passing remedial legislation;
(4) There exists in South Dakota a number of pregnancy help centers, as defined in this Act, which have as their central mission providing counseling, education, and other assistance to pregnant mothers to help them maintain and keep their relationship with their unborn children, and that such counseling, education, and assistance provided by these pregnancy help centers is of significant value to the pregnant mothers in helping to protect their interest in their relationship with their children; and
(5) It is a necessary and proper exercise of the state's authority to give precedence to the mother's fundamental interest in her relationship with her child over the irrevocable method of termination of that relationship by induced abortion.

And what if I don't want to go to a Pregnancy Crisis Center -- most often run by anti-abortion, Christian groups? Out of luck, I guess. My personal health decisions would be between me and THEIR God.

But, just because the original idea of attempting to legalize the killing of abortion providers didn't fly in South Dakota, it doesn't mean it can't be resurrected. From Nebraska:

Just when abortion rights supporters thought they had beaten a controversial bill they believe would legalize the killing of abortion providers, it has cropped up again—this time in a more expansive form that has drawn the concern of law enforcement officials.

Last week, South Dakota's legislature shelved a bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Phil Jensen, which would have allowed the use of the "justifiable homicide" defense for killings intended to prevent harm to a fetus. Now a nearly identical bill is being considered in neighboring Nebraska, where on Wednesday the state legislature held a hearing on the measure

The legislation, LB 232, was introduced by state Sen. Mark Christensen, a devout Christian and die-hard abortion foe who is opposed to the procedure even in the case of rape. Unlike its South Dakota counterpart, which would have allowed only a pregnant woman, her husband, her parents, or her children to commit "justifiable homicide" in defense of her fetus, the Nebraska bill would apply to any third party.

Not much better in Georgia, where "human involvement" in a miscarriage would be classified a felony.

It's only February, but this year has been a tough one for women's health and reproductive rights. There's a new bill on the block that may have reached the apex (I hope) of woman-hating craziness. Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin—who last year proposed making rape and domestic violence "victims" into "accusers"—has introduced a 10-page bill that would criminalize miscarriages and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriages and abortions would be potentially punishable by death: any "prenatal murder" in the words of the bill, including "human involvement" in a miscarriage, would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death. Basically, it's everything an "pro-life" activist could want aside from making all women who've had abortions wear big red "A"s on their chests.

Guess all Ob/Gyns providing pesky, fairly routine care would be felons, under this one.

And Virginia, where there is fear that a new regulation could make the state one of the most restrictive places in the country for first-semester abortions.

Antiabortion activists scored a major victory in Virginia as the state's General Assembly agreed Thursday that clinics where most of the state's early-term abortions are performed should be regulated as hospitals instead of as doctors' offices.

Abortion rights advocates, who have fended off similar attempts in Virginia for two decades, say the new rules could be so restrictive that they could force as many as 17 of the state's 21 abortion clinics out of business.

Antiabortion activists said the guidelines are necessary to ensure that the centers are operated safely.

What will this week bring?