I’m Going Back to Bed

Mississippi is following in South Dakota’s footsteps and a committee in its state House has voted through a bill that would ban most abortions, with endangerment of the mother’s life being the only exception. Abortions would not be allowed in cases of rape or incest. The bill will move to the full House for consideration as soon as next week.

House Public Health Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, persuaded his committee to put the abortion restrictions into a Senate bill that was originally written to require that sonograms be performed early in pregnancy so the woman could hear a fetal heartbeat…

"I have a strong dilemma within myself on this," Holland said. "I can only impregnate. I can't get pregnant myself."

Barf.

Mississippi already requires a 24-hour waiting period for all abortions and requires parental consent for minors. They also have only one abortion clinic in the entire state. So, basically, the state of affairs is already pretty Draconian.

And although I in no way support this bill, I will give some credit to Mississippi’s House committee who approved an amendment suggested by Dem Rep. Omeria Scott which would require the state to:

provide free education and medical services to any child born in the state, until age 19.

Scott said her proposal could extend beyond the public schools and Medicaid already offered. She said it could make a significant difference for a poor woman who’s trying to decide whether to have an abortion.

“Anyone who wants to take this language out of this bill is not for life,” Scott said.

That’s at least a step in the right direction, although I find it rather disgusting that women must concede their right of choice in order to receive such support. Quite the devil’s bargain. Women shouldn’t be forced to choose between autonomy and free educational and health services. They should be offered the latter and allowed to use it when weighing choices that ought to be guaranteed.