Mandatory ultrasounds that the abortion-seeking woman must view and pay for herself.
Florida's Republican-led Senate pushed through an 11th-hour provision Wednesday that would require women seeking an abortion in their first trimester of pregnancy to pay for ultrasound exams.
The amendment, which had not been debated during committee meetings, was attached to a health care bill (HB 1143) by a 22-17 vote following two hours of emotional debate.
Oh. Wait. There's an exception for victims of rape, domestic violence, or incest. With two enormous buts.
One, the victim has to 'prove' she's a victim. How the hell does one do that?
Two -- and this is just astonishing:
Victims of such crimes would still be required to have the ultrasound exam and pay for the procedure, which lawmakers estimated average between $350 and $400.
Such victims would, however, be permitted to avert their eyes.
Such mercy.
The bill has passed both the senate and the house and has gone to be signed or vetoed by Governor Charlie Crist, who is facing his own political troubles. A moderate Republican -- yeah, they apparently still exist -- Crist wants to run for the federal senate, but he got teabagged for the Republican nomination. He is running as an independent.
Abortion is still legal in the Excited States, remember. Access to abortion though is becoming increasingly encased in state-level barbwire and triplines dreamed up by fetus fetishizing sadists.
And remember too -- we have people here in Canada who want to put restrictions on abortion. And once they get started -- well, we have only to look south to see how far they can go.
ADDED: To answer the regina mom's question in the comments, I reread recent blogpost. In soshalist Canada, an ultrasound costs $65.
7 comments:
Right. Florida is the state that forcibly detained a pregnant woman in hospital because she wouldn't voluntarily stop working and couldn't make alternative arrangements for the care of her other children.
*Sigh*
Anything else you'd like to 'reopen the debate' on? Slavery? Debtor's prisons? Residential schools?
OMG! So much for the US being a "prochoice" country. And, isn't there some kind of research somewhere about the dangers of mandatory ultrasounds? Certainly, I've heard speculation about the relationship between various types of autism and ultrasounds...
Governor Crist seems like a fresh of breath air in Florida ..... unless you remember he replaced Jeb Bush.
Is it not strange that now even right wing Republicans are seen as moderate so long as they do not support 'tea party' objectives and tactics. They are probably more dangerous for it.
Indeed, TRM, you are right.
So, there will be women who can't pony up the extra $350-400 -- and what does an abortion itself cost? -- who will bear damaged children. That they may not be able to care for themselves.
Good plan.
Link to post about Samantha Burton, that pregnant Florida mom who was jailed ... err, hospitalized against her will because her doctor claimed her pregnancy was at risk.
I will actually pray that Crist has the heart to veto this. I don't know that it'll do any good, but it sure can't hurt.
I cannot understand the heartlessness of these people.
Post a Comment