PASSAGE ONE OF THE DAY: "The American Civil Liberties Union also promised to go to court if the bill becomes law. “For 50 years the Supreme Court has said that banning abortions before the point of viability is unconstitutional,” Sean J. Young, the legal director of the A.C.L.U. of Georgia, said on Saturday. “Every judge that has heard a challenge to such abortion bans has struck them down.”
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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "At the State Capitol this month, anti-abortion activists were joined by protesters opposing the bill, including some dressed as characters from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” wearing the red robes and white bonnets that have become a symbol for women’s rights. On the eve of the vote, about 50 Hollywood actors, including Alyssa Milano, Amy Schumer and Ben Stiller, wrote an open letter threatening to pull business out of the state, which is a hub for filming movies and television shows. “We want to continue to support the wonderful people, businesses and communities we have come to love in the Peach State,” according to the letter, which was dated Thursday and addressed to the governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives. “But we will not do so silently, and we will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women if H.B. 481 becomes law.”
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STORY: "Georgia Is Latest State to Pass Fetal Heartbeat Bill as Part of Growing Trend," by reporter Sarah Mervosh, published by The New York Times on March 30, 2019.
PHOTO CAPTION: "Demonstrators
in the Georgia State Capitol this month. State lawmakers on Friday sent
a fetal heartbeat bill to the desk of Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who
supports the measure."
GIST: "Tensions
over a growing movement to ban abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be
detected intensified this week as lawmakers in Georgia passed a bill
that stands to become one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the
country. The bill, which narrowly
passed in the Republican-controlled legislature on Friday, is expected
to be signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican. The measure
generally prohibits the procedure after doctors can discern a fetal
heartbeat, a milestone that happens around six weeks of pregnancy —
before some women know they are pregnant. Georgia’s so-called fetal heartbeat bill passed as momentum for similar proposals is building
in several Republican-controlled state capitals. The governors in
Mississippi and Kentucky signed fetal heartbeat measures into law in
recent weeks, and other states — including Florida, Missouri, Ohio,
Tennessee and Texas — are expected to approve similar measures this
year. But the efforts have so far not
gained traction in the courts, which quickly halted the fetal heartbeat
bill from taking effect in Kentucky and found similar measures in Iowa and North Dakota unconstitutional. The
measures clash with Supreme Court decisions that have recognized a
woman’s right to an abortion until a fetus is viable outside the womb,
usually around 24 weeks into a pregnancy. Abortion
opponents have said that is part of the intent: to land a new case
before the Supreme Court, which became more conservative with the
appointment of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh last year, lending urgency to
the question of whether Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that made
abortion legal nationwide, could be overturned or weakened. Those tensions were on display in Georgia, where last year’s tight race for governor
showed how politically divided the traditionally red state has become
and where women’s health care is a key issue. The state has faced a shortage of obstetricians and has one of the highest maternal death rates in the country. At the State Capitol this month, anti-abortion activists were joined by protesters opposing the bill, including some dressed as characters from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” wearing the red robes and white bonnets that have become a symbol for women’s rights. On
the eve of the vote, about 50 Hollywood actors, including Alyssa
Milano, Amy Schumer and Ben Stiller, wrote an open letter threatening to
pull business out of the state, which is a hub for filming movies and television shows. “We want to continue to support the wonderful people, businesses and communities we have come to love in the Peach State,” according to the letter,
which was dated Thursday and addressed to the governor and the speaker
of the House of Representatives. “But we will not do so silently, and we
will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state
for women if H.B. 481 becomes law.” The American Civil Liberties Union also promised to go to court if the bill becomes law. “For
50 years the Supreme Court has said that banning abortions before the
point of viability is unconstitutional,” Sean J. Young, the legal
director of the A.C.L.U. of Georgia, said on Saturday. “Every judge that
has heard a challenge to such abortion bans has struck them down.” A spokesman for Mr. Kemp could not be reached on Saturday. The governor campaigned on a promise
to sign tough abortion laws and said he welcomed the chance to “fight
for life at the Capitol and in the courtroom.” On Friday, he praised
lawmakers for their leadership and courage. “We stand up for the innocent and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves,” he said on Twitter. “The legislature’s bold action reaffirms our priorities and who we are as a state.” The
bill would effectively change the limit on abortion in Georgia to six
weeks from 20 weeks. The measure allows exceptions to prevent death or
serious harm to the woman, in cases in which the pregnancy is “medically
futile” because the fetus would not be able to live after birth, and in
cases of rape or incest in which a police report has been filed. Genevieve Wilson, a spokeswoman for Georgia Right to Life, said the group supported the measure until exceptions were added. “While
H.B. 481 contains some strong personhood components, such as declaring
babies in the womb natural persons, we are very saddened that it also
denies equal justice and equal protection for subclasses of children in
the womb,” she said on Saturday. On Friday, tensions flashed at the State Capitol as the bill, which needed 91 votes to pass, was approved 92 to 78. As a crowd gathered in the hallway, activists shouted, “Shame!” Erica Thomas, a Democratic state representative who is pregnant with her second child, threatened to stand outside the governor’s office in protest of his signing the bill. Ms.
Thomas said on Saturday that she hoped the bill would be struck down by
the courts but she lamented that the measure had gone forward “doing
nothing but to divide us.” “I hate
that we have to get to the point where we are at the will of the
courts,” she said. “I wish we would be at the will of the people.""
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/c
