Tag Archives: Senate Bill 1367

SB 1367: Grieving Families Are a Casualty of Arizona’s Latest Attack on Abortion

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The following guest post comes to us via Kelley Dupps, public policy manager for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona.

Senate Bill 1367, also known as the “live delivery” or “fetal torture” bill, depending on your worldview, was signed into law on March 31 by Gov. Doug Ducey.

Proponents of SB 1367 framed the bill as one that would give “survivors” of abortion a “chance at life” by requiring abortion providers to be trained in and stock equipment needed for “neonatal resuscitation” to keep the baby alive by any means necessary. Opponents pointed out that the chances of a late abortion resulting in a live delivery are slim to none, and the law would have “cruel consequences for grieving parents.” Families who learn their baby has fatal defects would be denied the chance to hold their newborn for the brief time they have with it, instead forcing doctors to perform heroic measures that could cause extreme suffering. Parents whose babies won’t have more than a few minutes or hours of life deserve to decide for themselves how they will spend that precious time.

Doctors will be bound to a law written by people who don’t understand how medicine is practiced.

SB 1367, an abortion bill that will do nothing more than traumatize patients, was introduced by extremist politicians looking for a fight with Planned Parenthood — although Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona intentionally stayed out of the debate. Planned Parenthood Arizona (PPAZ) does not perform late abortions, and we didn’t want deceptive lawmakers to distract the public by turning SB 1367 into a “Planned Parenthood bill,” which would draw focus from more pertinent underlying issues. To be clear: This bill stigmatizes abortion, denies compassion to families facing heartbreaking decisions, and does not impact the services provided by the amazing health care professionals at Planned Parenthood. PPAZ stands in solidarity with patients in need of health care and providers of legal, late abortions.

In the face of science, SB 1367 doubles down on the obscure and morbid aspects of abortion care in hopes of getting closer to the extremists’ coveted abortion ban. SB 1367 would require fetuses delivered at 20-24 weeks to be given “lifesaving” measures, regardless of the clinicians and patients in the room, regardless of the nonexistent instruments made tiny enough to achieve “lifesaving” measures, regardless of the ethics, morality, and humanity around grieving families and the care their specialists provide. Continue reading →

Pro-Choice Friday News Rundown

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  • The wingnuts over at the Center for Arizona Policy are almost always behind every single awful anti-choice bill in on our state. This time’s no different. Senate Bill 1367, if passed, would require doctors to take measures to maintain the life of a fetus born “alive” during an abortion procedure. Arizona Republic writer E.J. Montini expounds upon why this legislation is harmful. (AZ Central)
  • The most important opinions on this subject, however? Those of the mothers whose last precious moments with their newborns would have been stolen due to this cruel, useless law. (AZ Central)
  • A bit of good news though — it’s highly unlikely we’d ever see a “bathroom bill” or other extreme/homophobic/transphobic anti-LGBTQ legislation hit Arizona. Let’s focus on the small victories, people. (AZ Central)
  • Speaking of homophobia, South Dakota has passed a bill allowing state adoption agencies to refuse to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. Now, seeing as many who are anti-LGBTQ cling fervently to the “pro-life” title, it’s interesting that they’d rather let orphan children suffer without families than allow them into loving homes, isn’t it? (Slate)
  • In case you missed it — an enormous, smelly wheelbarrow filled with excrement known as the American Health Care Act (aka Trumpcare) was rolled out last week and is a total sh*tshow that will really only benefit the rich and healthy. Everyone else will basically die. (NY Mag)
  • Pregnant women will definitely be among the hordes of “losers” under Trumpcare. Ironic considering the GOP does literally everything possible to force women to remain pregnant, whether they wish to be or not, and then they create atrocious legislation to make it financially impossible to be able to afford to have a child. (Salon)
  • Aside from pregnant women, other parents as well as millions of children would lose their vital health coverage. (Romper)
  • And I’m far from done, ’cause this plan is the gift that keeps on giving. Other losers under Trumpcare? Pumpkin-colored Pinocchio’s very supportive voter base. This is his thanks to you all, thanks for playing and helping “Make America Great Again,” folks! Better luck voting for a president and Legislature who give a damn about you next time! (WaPo)
  • Trumpcare’s provision to defund Planned Parenthood puts our patients in the loser category as well. (Planned Parenthood Action)
  • And defunding us means the number of births in the Medicaid program would increase, as well as direct spending for Medicaid — which would increase by $21 million in 2017 alone. (NPR)
  • Appallingly, some supporters of Trumpcare think the thousands of unintended pregnancies that will result from this asinine bill are a good thing. Forced birthers are elated at the possibility that more babies will be born under potentially horrendous conditions. They will ignore the fact that these babies weren’t wanted and their parents are economically disadvantaged in a country led by a party that has proven itself to be unsympathetic to the plight of the poor. More babies under those circumstances is not a win. It’s a tragedy with the potential to have long-term emotional, mental, and financial consequences for real people — especially children! (WaPo)
  • Illinois Republican John Shimkus idiotically complained about men having to pay for maternity care via their health insurance and it got a lot of women thinking. What if women didn’t have to pay for men’s health care? (Elle)
  • Florida bill HB19 would allow women to sue abortion doctors for “emotional distress” after undergoing the procedure, which is, by the way — elective and voluntary. Here’s why that’s a slippery slope — it is well known that MANY anti-choice activists have “secret” abortions (check out the riveting book, “This Common Secret: My Life As An Abortion Doctor” by Susan Wicklund, for stories about this). How horrendous would it be for them to have the power to ruin doctors’ lives under such a law? They benefit doubly — they terminated an unwanted pregnancy and then get to benefit financially. What.A.Sham. And what other elective, LEGAL medical procedures allow for lawsuits from patients over regrets or emotional distress? ZERO. (Orlando Sentinel)
  • For the billionth time, “community health centers” cannot “fill the gap” in care if Planned Parenthood is defunded. Don’t believe me? Look at Wisconsin and Texas. (Guardian)