SPRINGFIELD – While Illinois' legislature is moving to make abortion easier to obtain at all stages of pregnancy for any reason, even at taxpayers' expense, other states are moving to restrict abortions.
The Mississippi Senate passed the House bill Tuesday by a 35-14 vote that would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. If signed into law, HB 1510 would be the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation. The bill now goes to the House, and if passed there, on to the desk of Gov. Phil Bryant who stated he will sign it into law.
HB 1510 would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks gestation, except in a medical emergency and in cases of severe fetal abnormality. The bill would prohibit a physician from performing an abortion without first determining the probable gestational age of the unborn child. The determination of probable gestational age should be made according to standard medical practices and techniques used in the community. A physician who violates this would have his or her medical license suspended or revoked.
The bill specifically states, according to Liberty Counsel, "The Supreme Court has long recognized that the State of Mississippi has an 'important and legitimate interest in protecting the potentiality of human life,' and specifically that 'the state has an interest in protecting the life of the unborn'…The majority of abortion procedures performed after fifteen (15) weeks' gestation are dilation and evacuation procedures which involve the use of surgical instruments to crush and tear the unborn child apart before removing the pieces of the dead child from the womb. The Legislature finds that the intentional commitment of such acts for nontherapeutic or elective reasons is a barbaric practice, dangerous for the maternal patient, and demeaning to the medical profession."
Mississippi is one of the nation's most pro-life states and has one abortion facility. Mississippi law currently prohibits the procedure after 20 weeks. Gov. Phil Bryant said, "Mississippians are committed to protecting the lives of unborn children, and this law will be a major step in accomplishing that goal. I am committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal, and I encourage the House to pass it and look forward to signing it."
