Monday, February 12, 2007

Abortion Law Revisited - USA

Lawmakers in South Dakota who attempted to pass a near-total ban on abortion last year have revisited the bill and made changes they believe may persuade the public to accept the legislation.

The bill introduced in January included exceptions for victims of rape or incest and cases where continuing the pregnancy would result in harming the mother significantly.

In the case of rape, the bill would allow rape victims to get abortions if they reported the rape to police within 50 days. Doctors would then have to confirm reports with the police.

In the case of incest, a doctor and the woman would be required to report the identity of the alleged perpetrator to police before an abortion could be done. In both cases, an abortion could be done up until the 17th week of pregnancy.

The ban introduced last year made exceptions only if the life of the mother was in grave danger. Voters repealed the ban in November.

So far, opinion polls have shown that people would be more likely pass the bill if rape and incest were included as exceptions.

Republican Rep. Gordon Howie, one of the chief sponsors of the current bill, said that legislators must not lose their momentum, and noted that the repeal passed with only 56 per cent of the vote.

‘'What the voters told us was that they were uncomfortable with the rape and incest circumstances. And so this bill is one that was specifically designed for the majority of South Dakotans or with them in mind,’ Howie said.

At present, about 800 abortions are done each year in South Dakota, nearly all of them at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Sioux Falls.

Rep. Howie and others who support the bill hope it could pave the way for the US Supreme Court to revisit and overturn its 1973 decision to legalise abortions.

Other US states which have introduced similar bans include Mississippi and Utah. In the case of Mississippi, the ban excludes rape and incest and allows for abortions to save a mother’s life, but not her health. Utah’s legislation allows for the same exceptions, and would also set up a trust fund to pay for the expected court challenge.

Republican South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, who signed the near-ban last year, said he was unsure whether he would sign the current version.

Heather DeWit, 26, an after-school program director in Sioux Falls who voted in favour of last year’s bill in November, said she was glad lawmakers revived the abortion issue.

‘I think they should look at it again and maybe look at it in a different way, with the exceptions, if that's what they think it'll take to get it through,’ DeWit said. ‘I don't necessarily think the exceptions are needed, but it seems like the voters want to see that.’

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