Sanctity of Life Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109...p/~c10913smyV::

HR 776 IH
109th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 776
To provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception .

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 10, 2005
Mr. PAUL [of Texas] (for himself, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, and Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL
To provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception .

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Sanctity of Life Act of 2005'.

SEC. 2. FINDING AND DECLARATION.

(a) Finding- The Congress finds that present day scientific evidence indicates a significant likelihood that actual human life exists from conception .

( Declaration- Upon the basis of this finding, and in the exercise of the powers of the Congress--

(1) the Congress declares that--

(A) human life shall be deemed to exist from conception , without regard to race, sex, age, health, defect, or condition of dependency; and

( the term `person' shall include all human life as defined in subparagraph (A); and

(2) the Congress recognizes that each State has the authority to protect lives of unborn children residing in the jurisdiction of that State.

SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON APPELLATE JURISDICTION.

(a) In General- Chapter 81 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1260. Appellate jurisdiction; limitation

`Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1253, 1254, and 1257, the Supreme Court shall not have jurisdiction to review, by appeal, writ of certiorari, or otherwise, any case arising out of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, practice, or any part thereof, or arising out of any act interpreting, applying, enforcing, or effecting any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, or practice, on the grounds that such statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, practice, act, or part thereof--

`(1) protects the rights of human persons between conception and birth; or

`(2) prohibits, limits, or regulates--

`(A) the performance of abortions; or

`( the provision of public expense of funds, facilities, personnel, or other assistance for the performance of abortions.'.

( Conforming Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 81 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`1260. Appellate jurisdiction; limitation.'.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON DISTRICT COURT JURISDICTION.

(a) In General- Chapter 85 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 1370. Limitation on jurisdiction

`Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the district courts shall not have jurisdiction of any case or question which the Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction to review under section 1260 of this title.'.

( Conforming Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 85 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`1370. Limitation on jurisdiction.'.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The provisions of this Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to any case pending on such date of enactment.

SEC. 6. SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Act or the amendments made by this Act, or the application of this Act or such amendments to any person or circumstance is determined by a court to be invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Act and the amendments made by this Act and the application of such provision to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected by such determination.



ADDITIONAL SPONSORS -- (House of Representatives - April 12, 2005)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Page: H1895] GPO's PDF
--- Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions as follows:
H.R. 776 : Mr. MILLER of Florida and Mr. NORWOOD.


ADDITIONAL SPONSORS -- (House of Representatives - April 19, 2005)
H.R. 776 : Mr. Lewis of Kentucky

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?r109...1(H.+R.+776)++)

SUMMARY AS OF:
2/10/2005--Introduced.

Sanctity of Life Act of 2005 - Declares that: (1) human life shall be deemed to exist from conception, without regard to race, sex, age, health, defect, or condition of dependency; and (2) the term "person" shall include all such human life. Recognizes that each State has authority to protect the lives of unborn children residing in the jurisdiction of that State.

Amends the Federal judicial code to remove Supreme Court and district court jurisdiction to review cases arising out of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, or practice, or any act interpreting such a measure, on the grounds that such measure: (1) protects the rights of human persons between conception and birth; or (2) prohibits, limits, or regulates the performance of abortions or the provision of public funds, facilities, personnel, or other assistance for abortions.

Makes this Act applicable to any case pending on the date of enactment

[first posted by heritage, Dec 15 2005, 03:44 PM in another forum]

We got a republican fund raising letter on Dec 15 [letter dated December 5, 2005].

This is for a new law:

Life at Conception Act.

The letter is from the new Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), representing the National Pro-Life Alliance, 4521 Windsor Arms Court, Annandale, VA 22003-9916

The letter includes preprinted petitions to Senators Frist, Santorum, and Specter and Representatives Hastert and Tim Murphy.

They ask for donations of $15 to $1000 so they can mail out 1 million petitions.[from what we have received before, this is typical for right wing groups]

Their goal is to “bypass Roe v Wade and protect unborn children from abortion.”

The law “declares unborn children “persons” as defined by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, entitled to legal protection.”

“If you and other pro-life activists pour on enough pressure, pro-lifers can ultimately win passage of a Life at Conception Act and send it to President Bush’s desk.”

“But even if a Life at Conception Act doesn’t pass immediately, the public attention will send another crew of radical abortionists down to defeat in the next elections.” [Note they use this divisive tactic in every election]

The national Pro-Life Alliance will run:

*** “Hard-hitting TV, radio and newspaper ads to be run before each vote, detailing the horrors of abortion and mobilizing the American people.”

*** “Extensive personal lobbying of key members of Congress by rank and file national Pro-Life Alliance members and staff.”

*** “A series of newspaper columns to be distributed free to all 1706 daily newspapers now published in the United States.”

*** “An extensive direct mail and telephone campaign to generate at least one million petitions to Congress like the ones enclosed with this letter.”

“Of course, to do all this will take a lot of money. Just to mail the letters necessary to produce one million petitions will cost at least $460,000. Newspaper, TV and radio are even more expensive. But I’m sure you’ll agree pro-lifers cannot just sit by watching the killing continue.”
------------------------------

We got another letter on Dec 15 [dated December 8, 2005] from the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), an anti-abortion group at 1420 King Street, Suite 550, Alexandria, VA 22314. They are raising funds to help Judge Alito get to the Supreme Court.

They demonize George Soros, MoveOn.Org, NARAL, left-wing senators, left wing pro-abortion groups, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Chuck Schumer, and NOW.

They want a pro-life Supreme Court to uphold the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban.

Informed Choice Act (Introduced in Senate)

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109...p/~c1096YJZV3::
S 755 IS
109th CONGRESS
1st Session

S. 755
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound equipment to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such services, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 11, 2005
Mr. BUNNING introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

[note wherever there is a smiley face, it should be a "B"; this software converts the B's to smileys]


A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound equipment to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such services, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Informed Choice Act'.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR PURCHASE OF ULTRASOUND EQUIPMENT.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. Such ultrasound equipment shall be used by the recipients of such grants to provide, under the direction and supervision of a licensed medical physician, free ultrasound examinations to pregnant women needing such services.

( Eligibility Requirements- An entity may receive a grant under subsection (a) only if the entity meets the following conditions:

(1) The entity is a nonprofit private organization that is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt entity under section 501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(2) The entity operates as a community based pregnancy help medical clinic, as defined in subsection (f).

(3) The entity provides medical services to pregnant women under the guidance and supervision of a physician who serves as the medical director of the clinic and is duly licensed to practice medicine in the State in which the entity is located.

(4) The entity is legally qualified to provide such medical services to pregnant women and is in compliance with all Federal, State, and local requirements for the provision of such services.

(5) The entity agrees to comply with the following medical procedures:

(A) Each pregnant woman upon whom the ultrasound equipment is used will be shown the visual image of the fetus from the ultrasound examination and will be given a general anatomical and physiological description of the characteristics of the fetus.

( Each pregnant women will be given, according to the best medical judgment of the physician performing the ultrasound examination or the physician's agent performing such exam, the approximate age of the embryo or fetus considering the number of weeks elapsed from the probable time of the conception of the embryo or fetus, based upon the information provided by the client as to the time of her last menstrual period, her medical history, a physical examination, or appropriate laboratory tests.

© Each pregnant woman will be given information on abortion and alternatives to abortion such as childbirth and adoption and information concerning public and private agencies that will assist in those alternatives.

(D) The entity will obtain and maintain medical malpractice insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000, and such insurance will cover all activities relating to the use of the ultrasound machine purchased with the grant under subsection (a).

(6) The entity does not receive more than 30 percent of its gross annual revenue from a single source or donor.

© Limitation on Individual Grant Amount- No grant under subsection (a) may be made in an amount that exceeds an amount equal to 50 percent of the purchase price cost of the ultrasound machine involved, or $20,000, whichever is less.

(d) Application for Grant- A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this section.

(e) Annual Report to Secretary- A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant agrees to report on an annual basis to the Secretary, in such form and manner as the Secretary may require, on the ongoing compliance of the applicant with the eligibility conditions established in subsection (.

(f) Definitions- For purposes of this Act:

(1) The term `community based pregnancy help medical clinic' means a facility that--

(A) provides free medical services to pregnant women under the supervision and direction of a licensed physician who serves as the medical director for such clinic; and

( does not charge for any services rendered to its clients, whether or not such services are for pregnancy or nonpregnancy related matters.

(2) The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(g) Authorization of Appropriations- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2009.

[Note that many states require this now before a woman can have an abortion. This discourages the woman from getting an abortion].

Co-sponsor:
Sen DeWine, Mike [OH] - 9/28/2005

Bill is still in committee.

Informed Choice Act (Introduced in House)

HR 216 IH
109th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 216
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations for the purchase of ultrasound equipment to provide free examinations to pregnant women needing such services, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 4, 2005
Mr. STEARNS [Florida-6th] introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

[same bill as in the senate]


Co-sponsors: (29)

Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 3/10/2005
Rep Baker, Richard H. [LA-6] - 3/16/2005
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 4/5/2005
Rep Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1] - 4/5/2005
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] - 3/14/2005
Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7] - 5/3/2005
Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] - 3/10/2005
Rep Inglis, Bob [SC-4] - 4/5/2005
Rep Jindal, Bobby [LA-1] - 7/14/2005
Rep Kennedy, Mark R. [MN-6] - 3/16/2005
Rep King, Steve [IA-5] - 3/14/2005
Rep LaHood, Ray [IL-18] - 3/8/2005
Rep Lewis, Ron [KY-2] - 3/17/2005
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] - 6/7/2005
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 3/16/2005
Rep Melancon, Charlie [LA-3] - 3/16/2005
Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 4/5/2005
Rep Myrick, Sue [NC-9] - 4/12/2005
Rep Oberstar, James L. [MN-8] - 4/5/2005
Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] - 3/8/2005
Rep Renzi, Rick [AZ-1] - 3/8/2005
Rep Ryun, Jim [KS-2] - 3/10/2005
Rep Schmidt, Jean [OH-2] - 11/7/2005
Rep Shimkus, John [IL-19] - 3/16/2005
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 3/10/2005
Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 4/5/2005
Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] - 3/10/2005
Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] - 3/8/2005
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 5/17/2005

Right to Life Act (Introduced in House)

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109...p/~c109hIV43r::

HR 552 IH
109th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 552
To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 2, 2005
Mr. HUNTER [CA-52]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL
To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Right to Life Act'.

SEC. 2. RIGHT TO LIFE .

To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant to the duty and authority of the Congress, including Congress' power under article I, section 8, to make necessary and proper laws, and Congress' power under section 5 of the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act:

(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING- The terms `human person' and `human being' include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life , including, but not limited to, the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.

(2) STATE- The term `State' used in the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States and other applicable provisions of the Constitution includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each other territory or possession of the United States.

Co-sponsors: (73) see list
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR00552:@@@P

Bill has been referred to a committee

Look how active the republicans were this year.

Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.51.IS]
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.356.IH]

Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.R.748.EH]
Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (Received in Senate from House)[H.R.748.RDS]

Child Custody Protection Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.396.IS]
Parental Notification and Intervention Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.2971.IH]
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 748) to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent the transportation of minors in circumvention of certain laws relating to abortion,... (Reported in House)[H.RES.236.RH]

Late Term Abortion Restriction Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.3746.IH]

Abortion Non-Discrimination Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.1983.IS]

Emergency Contraception Education Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.3326.IH]

We the People Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.4379.IH]

Whereas the Committee on the Judiciary conducted a markup of the bill H.R. 748, the `Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act,' on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 and ordered the bill reported... (Laid on Table in House)[H.RES.253.LTH]

Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning Griswold v. Connecticut. (Introduced in Senate)[S.RES.162.IS]

Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.4188.IH]

Recognizing the importance of the decision of the Supreme Court, Griswold v. Connecticut, which 40 years ago held that married couples have a constitutional right to use contraceptives,... (Introduced in House)[H.RES.311.IH]

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the approval of any drug that infringes the right to life, and for other purposes. (Introduced in House)[H.R.3553.IH

RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)[S.511.IS]
RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1079.IH]

Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2005 (Placed on Calendar in Senate)[S.844.PCS]

Prevention First Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.20.IS]

plus budget and foreign affairs bills and resolutions

A PBS documentary recently said that 85% of the US counties have no abortion services. The pro-life movement is winning even without eliminating Roe v Wade.

-----------------------
There is an editorial today in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about how doctors from Minnesota have to fly to South dakota to do abortions because SD lawmakers and religious right groups have made it impossible for doctors to do abortions (though legal). I'd post the article, but it doesn't show up on the webpage.

----------------------

Federal study shows unwanted births are up

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

By Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05354/625087.stm

ATLANTA -- More American women are having babies they didn't want, a survey indicates, but federal researchers say they don't know if that means attitudes about abortion are changing.

U.S. women of childbearing age who were surveyed in 2002 revealed that 14 percent of their recent births were unwanted at the time of conception, federal researchers said yesterday.

In a similar 1995 survey, only 9 percent were unwanted at the time of conception.

At least one anti-abortion group said the numbers reflect a national "pro-life shift," while others who research reproductive health issues suggested it might mean less access to abortion.

The latest findings are consistent with the falling rate of abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group that researches reproductive health issues.

In 1995, for every 100 pregnancies that ended in abortion or a birth, almost 26 ended in abortion. In 2002, 24 ended in abortion, according to Guttmacher data.

That information seems to be in sync with the federal data released yesterday, said Lawrence Finer, Guttmacher's associate director for domestic research.

"The two statistics together suggest -- but don't confirm -- that a greater percentage of unintended pregnancies resulted in births rather than abortions," Mr. Finer said.

The Guttmacher Institute is nearly finished with a study of that question, but Mr. Finer declined to discuss the results before they've been published.

"I don't think there's any mystery here," said Susan Wills, of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The new data underscores that more women are turning away from abortions, even when it's a pregnancy they don't want, said Ms. Wills, associate director for education in the Conference's Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

"It shows a real pro-life shift," she said.

More women may be carrying pregnancies to term because of increasing availability of ultrasounds and other information that show "it's a baby from an early time," Ms. Wills said.

Republican congressmen are speaking at the Pro-life rally now on C-span.

Smith - NJ, Chabot - Ohio spoke

They are glad that O'Conner is leaving and Alito is coming in. They said that the pro-lifers are needed in the 2006 election.

Jean Schmidt is now speaking. She is the one who trashed Murtha.

President Bush is phoning in his speech to this rally.

He is in Kansas today justifying his wiretapping of Americans.


These people think that the partial birth ban will be law when Alito gets in.

They are also asking for pro-lifers to run for office and vote against any person who is not pro-life.

Abortion and gays are the campaign strategy again. Rove can claim it is terrorism, but they go back to their tried and true slandering on moral values.

All these republican congress people are quoting the Bible!

Garrett (NJ) said that "the government is there to propel people's spirits"

So much for separation of church and state and keeping government out of our lives.

Bush is on now: the crowd is going wild for mentioning Kansas:

every life has value; the strong has to protect the weak; protect the sick and dying, especially unborn children; we are making good progress to have a culture of life; we will defend the partial birth law; we passed the Lacey and Connor law to protect unborn children from violent acts; we love your child and we will help you [then why did congress cut funds for poor people?]; by changing laws, we can change the culture... I ask for God's blessings....

speech took about 3 minutes.

Steve King -R-Iowa is on

He is trashing Kate Michelman for aborting her 4th child.

"Life begins at conception. Every school child should grow up knowing that. Embryos are life. No stem cell research on embryos. We have Roberts and Alito. They believe in the original text of the Constitution and the protection of life. Anyone under 30 should not be a generation of abortion. We need another new justice from Bush so abortion can be wiped out.

Mike Pence - R-Indiana is on

He was on C-span last night. He is an evangelical christian. End abortion on demand. Henry Hyde stopped taxpayer dollars to prevent abortions here and abroad. Bush passed partial birth abortion ban. Women have been caught up in the "lie of abortion". we must never relent, we must never tire. It is not our cause, it is the cause of the originator of life... Bible verses again. Choose life!

Melissa Hart - PA (Wexford, near Pittsburgh)

Abortion is despicable. America shouldn't stand for this anymore. We need to make abortion illegal. We need more groups to stand up and right the wrong. we need to defeat the idea that there is "no baby in there". If we care about the baby, we need to care about the women. She initiated a bill about women in college to prevent abortions. We will prevent little girls going across state lines.

[85% of US counties don't have any abortion clinics!]

Demonstrators Mark Roe V. Wade Anniversary

Updated 1:07 PM ET January 23, 2006
http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...8fahmo80&src=ap

By JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush told abortion opponents Monday that they are pursuing "a noble cause" and making a real difference in the campaign to recruit more Americans to stand on their side.

"We're working to persuade more of our fellow Americans of the rightness of our cause," the president told abortion foes gathered at the foot of Capitol Hill on a chilly, rainy day. He spoke by telephone from Manhattan, Kan., where he was to give a speech.

"This is a cause that appeals to the conscience of our citizens and is rooted in America's deepest principle," the president said. "And history tells us that with such a cause we will prevail."

Supporters of abortion held a rally on Sunday, marking the 33rd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, and urging the Senate to reject the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They held a candlelight vigil in front of the court, waving signs that read: "Alito_No Justice For Women," and "Keep Abortion Legal."

After the rally on the National Mall, the demonstrators were marching to the Capitol and the Supreme Court.

Other rallies were being held across the country.

In St. Paul, Minn., Katie Whitte braved below-freezing temperatures outside the state capitol to march for the first time against abortion.

"This year is special for me because I am a mother out of wedlock," said Whitte, 20, whose daughter is 5 months old. "I wanted to get the message out that life is important. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are."

Whitte was among thousands of abortion opponents who rallied across the nation over the weekend, many of whom said they were heartened by Bush's choice of Alito.

The nation's high court made abortion legal on Jan. 22, 1973. Thirty-four states have since passed laws requiring parents either to be notified or to give consent when their underage daughters seek abortions.

In Idaho, nearly 400 abortion protesters marched Saturday at the Statehouse, including Reid Richardson and his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Allie Zebley, who carried sign with her ultrasound photo and the words, "This is me at 16 weeks."

About half that number gathered Sunday outside the Idaho Capitol in support of abortion rights.

In Michigan, a group of ministry leaders launched a new anti-abortion organization, Michigan Chooses Life. The group wants to change the state constitution to legally define a person as existing at the moment of conception. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has said such a measure would be challenged in court.

More state restrictions; 2006 campaign issue again

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...T&f=255&t=47699

PA state republicans are trying to change the PA constitution to outlaw legality of "unmarried" persons. They are targeting gays/lesbians and hope to get around the discrimination challenges.

Right to life legislation is getting in under the radar. Republicans will make abortion a campaign issue again.
----------------------------

Ind. Proposal: Life Starts at Conception

Updated 12:57 PM ET February 11, 2006
By DEANNA MARTIN

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pr...8fn2b8o0&src=ap

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana women seeking an abortion would be told life begins at conception under a proposal that would give the state one of the furthest-reaching abortion consent laws in the country.

Only one state _ South Dakota _ has gone so far in what it orders doctors to tell women before they can get abortions, and that law has been blocked by a court.

Supporters say the legislation would provide women key information before making an irreversible decision, but critics argue it blurs the line between church and state and could infringe on doctors' First Amendment rights.

"To put our religion or faithful beliefs into a statute that's going to be law, without being able to back it up scientifically, I have real hard questions about doing that," said Indiana Rep. John Ulmer, a Republican who voted against the bill.

Indiana is one of 29 states with "informed consent" laws that require women seeking an abortion to receive information about the procedure, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization in New York and Washington, D.C., that researches and tracks state abortion legislation.

Most tell women assistance is available for prenatal care, childbirth and infant care if they decide to carry their pregnancy to term. Three states _ Arkansas, Nevada and Wisconsin _ provide information about the possible psychological effects of an abortion.

Only South Dakota has beginning-of-life language similar to Indiana's proposal, which would require women seeking an abortion to be informed in writing that "human life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm."

Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota challenged South Dakota's law, saying it infringed on doctors' First Amendment rights. No trial date has been set, but U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier of Rapid City granted a preliminary injunction last year blocking enforcement of the law, saying the plaintiffs have a good chance of winning.

The Indiana bill also would require abortion providers to tell women that a fetus may be able to feel pain. Such notice is required in Arkansas, Georgia and Minnesota, but those states specify that it applies to fetuses at 20 weeks gestation or later, while Indiana's proposal does not specify a gestation period.

Indiana's current law requires doctors to tell women about risks and alternatives to abortion, and to provide information about the fetus' age and potential viability. Doctors also must offer to show women an ultrasound of the fetus.

The proposed changes cleared the Republican-controlled House on a 70-30 vote Feb. 1; a committee of the GOP-led Senate is set to consider the bill this month.

Republican Rep. Tim Harris, the Indiana bill's House sponsor, said he did not intend to restrict abortion.

"We in no way infringe on a woman's right to an abortion," Harris said. "That's still legal. That is still the law of the land."

Supporters say the bill would give women information they need.

Dorothy Timbs, of the National Right to Life Committee, said many women seeking an abortion are told the fetus is nothing more than "a blob of tissue." She says women need to understand the consequences of an abortion on both the fetus and themselves.

"This is a decision that profoundly affects both forever and is irreversible," she said. "Women deserve this information. The more they have, the better off they are."

Abortion-rights supporters say that's only true if the information is based in medical fact.

"We're seeing more and more informed consent laws passed that are politically motivated, with items in there trying to dissuade women from having abortions, rather than being politically neutral and giving women true risks and benefits," said Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association of abortion providers in the United States and Canada.

Yale Law School Professor Jack M. Balkin said Indiana's proposal could withstand free-speech challenges if doctors tell women the information is required by the state and might not necessarily reflect their own views.

"If a doctor can put it in those terms, then he's acting as a conduit from the state to the woman," he said.