February 2011

We should change the name of Pierre

l3wis February 23, 2011 8Comments

Though voters have said TWICE that we are a pro-choice state, some legislators don’t get it. They continue to make it harder for women to have safe access to abortion;

A measure requiring women to consult with pregnancy help centers before getting abortions passed Tuesday in the South Dakota House despite arguments that it probably will be thrown out by courts after an expensive legal battle.

The bill says an abortion could not be performed until at least 72 hours after a woman first meets with a doctor who will perform the abortion.

That doctor would have to determine whether the woman is voluntarily seeking an abortion and whether she is at risk for developing psychiatric or physical problems if she has an abortion.

Before getting an abortion, a woman also would have to consult with a pregnancy help center to get information about services available to help her give birth and keep a child. The state would publish a list of pregnancy help centers that seek to persuade women not to have abortions.

The bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, said many women have made it clear that they did not get adequate counseling before getting abortions at South Dakota’s only abortion clinic, which is in Sioux Falls. Women have testified in court cases and in legislative hearings that they have been coerced into getting abortions by boyfriends, husbands and others, he said, but the abortion clinic does nothing to help them resist that pressure.

“This is a matter of life. This is a matter of taking life,” Hunt said. “This is about information and blocking coercion. These are all good and noble objectives.”

So what Roger is saying is women getting abortions are to ignorant to understand what they are getting themselves into, but he knows better. Yeah . . . Right.

The measure also would force women to submit to lectures by unqualified counselors or volunteers who argue against abortion because of religious beliefs, Gibson said.

“It substitutes what amounts to harassment, propaganda and coercion for unbiased counseling information,” Gibson said.

Councilors who just happen to be really good friends of Mr. Hunt. While I can understand the outrage by women when it comes to the privacy issues, I am more concerned about the business nepotism going on here. Why not just require a QUALIFIED councilor to be present at PP? And maybe I am off base, but I believe women are told about the procedure before getting it done. I don’t think it is any freaking mystery, abortion terminates a pregnancy. I think it’s time we ABORT some legislators in Pierre and vote them out of office next time around.