By Corinne Murdock |
This past week, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) declared opposition to parental consent laws concerning abortions for minors. In remarks given to National Review, Kelly said he wouldn’t be an “arbiter of age,” insisting no age limit exists for when a minor should receive an abortion without parental consent.
“As a parent myself, somebody who has raised two daughters who are now in their mid-20s, I take this very seriously. But ultimately, I feel that young women at a certain age should have the right to make these kinds of decisions with their doctor,” said Kelly. “I’m not going to be the arbiter of an age and a timeline and red line [….] You know, people ask, ‘Is there a red line here?’ No. But I think it’s important for women to be able to make these decisions on their own, and not a bunch of folks in Washington making them for them.”
Kelly also admitted that he didn’t know or believe to be his concern the potential implications of a bill he’d voted for, the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), on parental rights enshrined in Arizona’s parental consent law concerning abortions received by minors. Kelly suggested that concerned individuals such as the National Review reporter pose that question to Capitol Hill researchers.
“I think that’s something that you could, you know, reach out to the Congressional Research [Service] folks and figure out,” said Kelly.
Although Kelly argued that no age limit exists for when a minor no longer needs parental consent to receive an abortion, he’s argued that abortion on demand at any time in gestation, or “reproductive rights,” should be codified, effectively nullifying all state laws on abortion.
According to OpenSecrets, Planned Parenthood endorsed Kelly and donated nearly $10,000 to his campaign — the most they offered candidates’ campaigns. After his election, the Arizona political action arm of the national organization celebrated him.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
