Supporters press bill on fetal homicide; Many women make emotional pleas at Capitol event

The Courier-Journal ^ | Friday, January 09, 2004 | DEBORAH YETTER

[Republican Wildcat]

FRANKFORT

[hocndoc]

It's about increments, and I'll take each little piece of change as positive (as I told Rep. Mike Villareal, the San Antonio State Representative late one night in Austin.).

We passed the Prenatal Protection Act in Texas this last spring, as have other States. But, in order to get it passed, we had to exempt the mother, any doctor or pharmacist she hires.

But, maybe a few women are safer from being purposefully harmed due to their pregnancy, maybe a few babies will be saved, and, at the very least, we'll get a few more killers off the street due to the new law.

[hocndoc]

Texas passed a Prenatal Protection Bill, Texagirl4W. See

http://www.house.state.tx.us/news/release.php?id=351

one of the few news articles to mention the Act is at
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2324966

"Additionally, McLaughlin said, abortion-rights groups suffered significant setbacks at the hands of legislators with the passage of the Prenatal Protection Act, which enables pregnant women to file wrongful-death lawsuits and allows prosecutors to seek criminal charges when a fetus is killed in an accident or by a violent attack.""

Thanks for the ping, Ming!

[j_tull]

Abortion-rights backers generally would prefer to see enhanced criminal penalties against someone who attacks a pregnant woman and harms the fetus, said Amanda Kreps-Long, director of the Reproductive Freedom Project for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.

Translation: We almost want to acknowledge the status of the foetus as a human as long as it is injured by anyone other than the mother-sanctioned vacuum cleaner ripping it to shreds in the womb.
OK, I think I've got it now.