Abortion legislation in the post Kermit Gosnell world is getting stranger and stranger. Pro-abort legislators are getting bolder — and not in a good way.
What do you think would be the best way for states to prevent a Gosnell situation from happening again? My guess would be to pursue the strictest regulatory policy possible for abortion clinics, inspect clinics review physician’s credentials frequently, and hand out heavy criminal penalties for violations of good medical practice.
Well, that’s one way. I imagine you will agree it’s the best way. But it’s not the New York way. Under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed new legislation, abortionists are getting even more of a free ride from the state. Abortionists will be immune from criminal prosecution and from civil lawsuits. That’s right. The bill states:
“No prosecution or proceeding shall be brought or maintained under the penal law or otherwise for acts that are authorized or permitted pursuant to this section or by this chapter and the education law” (emphasis added)
Ed Mechmann, legal expert for the archdiocese of New York, explains that because the section providing for abortions will be under the aegis of New York’s Education Law, which allows the state to set broad and far ranging guidelines for medical practice, and authorize practitioners, the state can make any provisions it sees fit in regard to abortion, provisions that can’t be overseen or changed by the legislature. He adds:
As a result, this sweeping provision would give the Health Department the unlimited authority to permit anyone — even non-health professionals — to do abortions. It would immunize any such non-doctor abortionist from any criminal prosecution under the old Penal Law sections (that would be “inconsistent” with this section of the bill) or for practicing medicine without a license, or any kind of civil proceeding (including an action for professional misconduct). That means abortion with impunity for those favored by the Health Department. (read the rest here).
Did I mention that the law was for all intents and purposes written by abortionists and their supporters? Did I mention that because this law is part of a larger bill called the Women’s Equality Act, anyone attacking it will surely be seen as waging a “War on women?
A June 4 statement by Cardinal Dolan and the bishops of New York State, spell out the other problems with the bill:
We are profoundly distressed by the introduction of a bill in New York State today that would ease restrictions in state law on late-term abortion and runs the serious risk of broadly expanding abortion access at all stages of gestation. This legislation would add a broad and undefined “health” exception for late-term abortion and would repeal the portion of the penal law that governs abortion policy, opening the door for non-doctors to perform abortions and potentially decriminalizing even forced or coerced abortions. In addition, we find the conscience protection in the bill to be vague and insufficient, and we are concerned about the religious liberty of our health facilities. While the bill’s proponents say it will simply “codify” federal law, it is selective in its codification. Nowhere does it address the portions of federal laws that limit abortion, such as the ban on taxpayer funding, the ban on partial birth abortion or protections for unborn victims of violence. (read the rest here).
My plea to all the people of New York state: Write, e-mail or call your state representatives and senators immediately and urge them to vote against the abortion provisions in this bill. Please do not let New York become a haven for the Kermit Gosnells of this world.
Protect unborn children and their mothers from these horrors.
Update, June 17:
Looks like the bill won’t be passed this session. Governor Cuomo has been stymied by four members of the Independent Democratic Conference or IDC in the Senate, who have joined with the Republicans to block it. The IDC itself in pro-choice; evidently the four just saw Cuomo’s bill as too extreme – but even this was enough for Cuomo to call them “theoretically Democrats.” Because the whole meaning of “Democrat” is “pro-abortion to the extreme” of course.
Cuomo predicts something “nasty” as a result for the 2014 election. He predicts these four Dems will lose their seats. I highly doubt it — that is, if the real news about the bill really gets out there. Right now, the tactic apparently is to spin the law as one that adds an innocuous “health” exception to abortions done beyond six months. As we saw above, this is anything but the case.
We still need to fight this bill, but with luck we’ll have more time to do so, especially by educating the public.