{"id":293798,"date":"2023-06-27T10:41:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T15:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=293798"},"modified":"2023-06-27T23:57:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T04:57:02","slug":"maine-house-senate-abortion-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/maine-house-senate-abortion-birth\/","title":{"rendered":"Maine House and Senate vote to allow abortion up to birth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPDATE, 6\/27\/23: <\/strong>The Maine Senate on Tuesday joined<\/a> the House in passing a bill to expand abortion in the state in a 21 to 13 vote. While Gov. Janet Mills, who introduced the bill, claims it is not extreme, the bill allows abortion up to birth for any reason.<\/p>\n

Mills erroneously and discriminatorily believes abortion is necessary in the third trimester for children who receive certain diagnoses. However, the bill leaves room for an abortionist to determine what is a “necessary” abortion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt basically allows for the abortion of a baby in the third trimester for any reason whatsoever, with no guardrails except for a physician has to sign off that it\u2019s necessary. Necessary for what purpose? They never really explain,” said Senator Eric Brakey.<\/p>\n

Rep. Lois Reckitt argued, \u201cThat\u2019s not true. I mean, what doctor are you ever going to find that would do that? Standards of care in the medical profession would never allow that to happen I want to trust the medical profession, and the women whose lives are at stake in this discussion, to do the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, when Keisha Atkins, who died as a result of an abortion, went to Southwestern Women’s Options for that abortion at 24 weeks, abortionist Shannon Carr (who is advocating<\/a> for Maine’s extreme abortion bill) noted<\/a> on paperwork that the abortion was “necessary” in order to prevent \u201csubstantial and irreversible harm to her physical health, her mental health, her family health, her safety and well being.\u201d Carr had only spoken to Atkins for 20 minutes, and while questioned under oath regarding Atkins’ death, Carr said that this assessment was simply “speculation of parenting at a young age as a single mom.”<\/p>\n

When asked how the pregnancy would have caused irreversible harm to Atkins’ mental health, Carr replied, “Financially not stable; depression; anxiety. That would be speculation as to any forward effects on her mental health.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bill must pass a second round of votes in the House and the Senate before going to Mills to be signed into law.<\/p>\n

6\/27\/23<\/strong>: Lawmakers in the Maine House narrowly passed<\/a> a bill last Thursday to expand abortion access in the state, voting 74-72 to allow abortion up to birth<\/em> so long as it is deemed “necessary” by a medical provider. And of course, that “medical provider” could be the abortionist committing the procedure.<\/p>\n

LD 1619<\/a>, introduced by Gov. Janet Mills, expands current state law, which allows abortions after 24 weeks only if the mother’s life is at risk. Abortion supporters, including Mills, say that the bill is necessary if a mother finds out late in pregnancy that her child has a potential life-limiting diagnosis. However, there is never a reason to deliberately kill a child, even if that child is not projected to live past birth. Instead of being dismembered or poisoned in her mother’s womb, the child can receive medical care and attention, so that her last moments may be comfortable.<\/p>\n