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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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 Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:34 pm Post subject: OK Legislature Over-Rides Governor Veto on Abortion Law |
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Article here.
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CHICAGO (AFP) � Oklahoma lawmakers overrode their governor's veto Tuesday to enact tough abortion laws that force women to undergo invasive ultrasounds and allow doctors to withhold test results showing fetal defects.
Even women who are victims of rape or incest will be required to listen to a detailed description of the fetus and view the ultrasound image prior to terminating a pregnancy.
They will also likely be required to undergo vaginal rather than abdominal ultrasounds as doctors are required to use the method that "would display the embryo or fetus more clearly."
The second bill shields doctors from "wrongful birth" malpractice lawsuits brought by parents who would have aborted a fetus had they been informed about its genetic or other defects.
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of the ultrasound law, which it said "profoundly intrudes upon a patient's privacy."
A similar Oklahoma law was struck down last year.
"Politicians have no business making medical decisions," said Stephanie Toti, a staff attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights.
"Another round in the courts won't change our strong constitutional claims against the law, it will only waste more of Oklahoma taxpayers' time and money."
Democratic Governor Brad Henry tried to block the bills last week, but the Republican-dominated Oklahoma legislature overwhelmingly overrode his veto with the help of Democrats.
Henry said that while he supports "reasonable" restrictions on abortions, the laws had serious constitutional flaws and represented an excessive intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens.
"It is unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform a pregnant woman in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on his patient," the governor said in his veto message.
"State policymakers should never mandate that a citizen be forced to undergo any medical procedure against his or her will, especially when such a procedure could cause physical or mental trauma," he added.
Abortion foes hailed the veto overrides as a victory for the unborn.
"Ultrasound gives a mother a window to her womb," Mary Spaulding Balch, director of state legislation for the National Right to Life, said in a statement.
"It helps to prevent her from making a decision she may regret for the rest of her life and it empowers her with the most accurate information about her pregnancy so that she can make a truly informed 'choice.'"
In the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not prohibit access to abortions prior to fetal viability -- which is generally seen to be somewhere around 24 weeks -- or when the pregnancy threatens the woman's health.
However, the court has upheld a number of state laws that essentially restrict access such as requiring parental notification when minors seek abortion or imposing strict and costly regulations on providers. |
I especially like the part about shielding doctors who essentially lie to their patients regarding matters of fetal health from legal consequences. I wonder how many of the people who condemned health care reform as "Government bureaucrats coming between patients and their doctors," will step up and condemn this. |
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.38 Special
Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:09 am Post subject: Re: OK Legislature Over-Rides Governor Veto on Abortion Law |
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This law is an attempt to a backdoor ban. Either ban the thing or don't. Little stunts like these are fireworks to temporarily distract interest groups.
The whole thing is very sneaky. How does one ban transmitting information regarding a thing? Shall we ban traffic police from telling you how fast he clocked you at, with the idea that fewer people will challenge the ticket in court?
While I encourage endeavors to end legalized infanticide, the ends cannot justify the means. Sloppy legislature is precedent for other bad laws. |
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