by Jill Norgaard | Dec 4, 2024 | Opinion
By Jill Norgaard |
Too often, we hear that constituents and politicians vote for something and then review the content afterwards. That appears to be the case with Prop 139. So, let’s take a look at what exactly is in this proposition.
An Associated Press article in the Ahwatukee news (last month) publicized that this abortion measure allows women to terminate a pregnancy without state interference until the point of fetal viability. This is incorrect. As the proponent’s attorney, Austin Yost, stated under oath in superior court, this amendment will allow abortions before and after fetal viability. In layman’s terms, Prop 139 will allow abortion, up to birth, which includes late-term abortion.
Did the press not read and understand the language? Or did they choose not to print its true intent? Polling showed that 90 percent of Arizonans would not support abortion up to birth, and yet Prop 139 still passed. But the legacy media focused on defining fetal viability at 22 or 24 weeks while ignoring that the proposition allows for abortion up to birth.
So, what else does Prop 139 do?
The proposition takes away parental consent for a minor to have an abortion. So, let’s get this straight. Minors no longer need parental consent to have an abortion, but they need parental consent to get an aspirin at school. Are we serious? Not only that, but this will also allow child traffickers and rapists to go unchecked and find a way to avoid prosecution for their crimes. All these traffickers and rapists would have to do is take their victim to have an abortion without their parents’ involvement. How can we exclude parents from this life-changing decision?
But perhaps most chilling is that the doctor and the requirement for an ultrasound have been eliminated from the abortion procedure. That’s right. The subject matter expert — a medical doctor — is no longer required for an abortion. Any “healthcare professional,” which is vaguely defined, can perform an abortion with no certification or hospital privileges. On top of that, the elimination of the ultrasound means that there is no way to tell the gestation of the baby or if there is an ectopic pregnancy. If the “healthcare professional” cannot detect an ectopic pregnancy and initiates an abortion, the woman’s life is at risk. This is not healthcare.
But why was the ultrasound eliminated? Because 60% of women who see their baby with an ultrasound choose life. And therein lies their end game. When women choose life, it’s bad business for abortion clinics.
Thanks to Prop 139, abortion providers stand to make millions more, especially by eliminating the need to pay for doctors. This is the reality of what our state just passed, not the fake ads on television telling voters that this is about women’s rights or that if you have a miscarriage, you cannot get medical help.
But the battle is not over.
As Chair of Arizona Right to Life, our team will continue to speak the truth about abortion. We remain committed to the protection of the unborn and the health and safety of women, because every human being is valuable.
The Honorable Jill Norgaard served in the Arizona State House from 2014-2018. She is the former First Vice Chairman of the AZGOP and currently serves as the Chair of Arizona Right to Life.
by Corinne Murdock | Mar 21, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
State Sen. Eva Burch (D-LD09) called her GOP colleagues “cruel” for restricting her ability to abort her child.
Burch made the remarks in a speech on the Senate floor on Monday. The senator said that she learned that her pregnancy was not progressing — nonviable — and that she had opted for abortion rather than wait on a miscarriage.
“I’m choosing abortion because I’m pregnant and for reasons that I should not have to explain to you, or to the church, or to the state of Arizona. I need to not be pregnant anymore. That’s the best outcome for me,” said Burch.
Burch said she was unable to receive an abortion from an abortion clinic last Friday as quickly as she desired due to state law requiring an ultrasound, informed consent, and a 24-hour waiting period.
“I don’t think people should have to justify their abortions,” said Burch. “There’s no one-size-fits-all for people seeking abortion care, and the legislature doesn’t have any right to assign one.”
Arizona law requires an abortionist to obtain the “voluntary and informed consent” of a mother based on the diagnosed condition of her unborn children.
A mother given a lethal fetal diagnosis must be advised of perinatal hospice services as an alternative to abortion. A lethal fetal condition is defined as a pre-birth diagnosis expected to result in the death of the unborn child within three months after birth.
A mother given a nonlethal fetal diagnosis must be advised of the range of outcomes for individuals living with the diagnosed condition; government and nongovernmental resources for mitigating the condition; and options for adoption.
Burch claimed that the informed consent requirement was a means to “shame, coerce, and frighten” her.
The senator also relayed her experience with a previous pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. Burch claimed that she was unable to obtain treatment to remove her deceased embryo because her condition wasn’t deemed “critical enough.” Per state law, abortion doesn’t include the termination of an ectopic pregnancy or removal of a dead fetus. This is a definition supported and reiterated by Attorney General Kris Mayes.
“[I]f you have a miscarriage and the doctor performs a surgical procedure to remove the deceased fetus, that is not an abortion,” states a webpage on abortion by Mayes.
Failure to remove a dead fetus from the uterus in a timely manner can cause deadly complications, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation. Denial of such lifesaving care would be considered medical malpractice.
Even so, Burch claimed lawmakers were to blame for her physical and emotional duress.
“The clauses for emergencies aren’t good enough. These laws can serve to intimidate doctors and it muddies the waters when they’re trying to make complex decisions in situations that are really volatile,” said Burch.
Arizona prohibits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and outright bans abortions sought for reasons of fetal genetic abnormality, race, or sex.
Burch said it was “inappropriate” for women seeking an abortion to have to undergo the transvaginal ultrasound.
Burch didn’t go into the details of her unborn child’s nonviability. Though uncommon, misdiagnosis of nonviability early on in pregnancy does occur for various reasons, such as an inaccurate conception date causing an inability to detect a fetal heartbeat. These misdiagnoses are usually caught with a followup ultrasound.
Burch also claimed that abortion carries a lower risk than pregnancy. The senator also cited datasets determining that women who can’t receive an abortion were more likely to be domestic violence victims, facing eviction and bankruptcy, bearing children with developmental delays, and poor.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
