This week, Arizona plans to ban abortions beginning at weektwenty of pregnancy. After a federal judge ruling on Monday, the brand new lawis constitutional.
The ruling said that:
“…the Court finds that H.B. 2036 does not impose asubstantial obstacle to previability abortions. As referenced above, the effectof H.B. 2036 limits abortions between 20 weeks and the time ofviability…Plaintiff Dr. Clewell avows that 90% of abortions take place duringthe first trimester of pregnancy, through approximately the thirteenth week.”
The U.S. Judge, James Teilborg stated that the change willprompt few women to obtain abortions sooner, but the law is constitutionalbecause It’s not prohibiting anyone from their personal decisions.
Judge Teilborg also pointed out and provided”substantial and well-documented” evidence that an unborn child over20 months old has the ability to undergo the pain that is hosted by an abortionat a late stage in the pregnancy.
This Law, will be enacted this week, and is very similar toplans that many other states have enacted. This law specifically will prevent abortionsbeginning at 20 weeks except in the case of a medical emergency. This is one ofthe changes from the current ban, which is around 24 weeks. (A typicalpregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, or 9 months)
Nancy Northrup, the Center for Reproductive Rights presidentand CEO wrote that:
“Today’s decision casts aside decades of legal precedent, ignoring constitutional protections for reproductive rights thathave been upheld by the United States Supreme Court for nearly 40 years and threatening women’s health and lives,”
In April, Governor Brewer signed the ban into law. Arizona isnow one of the 10 states that have enacted 20 week bans.
Earlier this year, another anti-abortion plan was put intolaw in Arizona. This law also had to face a court ruling. The law would barpublic financial support for non-abortion health care supplied by abortionclinics.
Both laws being anti-abortion laws, have been approved andsupported by most of Arizona’s legislature.
Montgomery said that:
“not implementing the 20-week ban would doom fetuses thatmight be saved due to advances in medicine.”
Some states that have enacted an anti abortion laws, include:Nebraska, North Carolina, Alabama,Idaho, Indiana, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Just recently, Georgia and Louisiana put into place 20 weekbans, just like Arizona. So far, only one law like Arizona’s has failed to passin the House yesterday morning in Washington DC.
The vote in support of the bill was 220-154. Because the billwas considered under special rules, it required two-thirds vote to be put intolaw.
This morning, Bloomberg Businessweek said that:
“Opponents said the bill was an attempt to roll back awoman’s constitutional right to an abortion. Advocacy groups on both sides ofthe abortion debate were noting how each lawmaker voted, putting members underadditional pressure.”
Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Rightto Life Committee also noted that:
“Today’s groundbreaking majority vote constitutes agiant step towards this bill ultimately becoming law,”
He continued to say that:
“lawmakers who voted against it will have to explain to theirconstituents why they voted to endorse a policy of legal abortion for any reason, until the moment of birth, in their nation’s capital.”
Plans like the one presented here, are what keep our nation moving in the right direction and away from what our current governmental leaders have chosen. What we find currently, is that our house of leaders support many harmful things, abortion being an example, and we must do what we can, even if it is on the state level to choose what is right, and not necessarily what everyone else is doing. Steps like the one which Arizona along with 9 other states have chosen may be small but really do have a large overall impact to show our nation what we believe.
