Texas couldn't charge Peterson

self | 5-7-03 | Beverly Nuckols

[hocndoc]

In Texas, Scott couldn't be charged for the death of his son because, as one woman put it so eloquently, in Texas the child is a "no- thing" before birth. There is no way to bring a charge in civil or criminal court for the wrongful death of an unborn child who dies in Texas against his or her mother's will.

HB 246, The Prenatal Protection Act http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/tlo/textframe.cmd?LEG=78&SESS=R&CHAMBER=H&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00246&VERSION=2&TYPE=A

is being held up in the State Affairs Committee of the Texas Legislature because the Texas Medical Association doesn't want the unborn child to be recognized as a cause for malpractice. This in a year when the TMA is demanding Tort Reform and caps on malpractice judgements!

Because of the self-interest of some in the leadership of the TMA (yes, I'm a member, but the Legislative Commission of the TMA made this decision in closed session), Scott Peterson couldn't be charged for 2 murders in Texas. A drunk driver who kills a child with his car or an angry boyfriend who beats and kicks the mother of his child until she miscarries can't be charged, either.

A study in Minnesota showed that men who were taught that not only was it wrong to commit acts of violence against their intimate partners, but that they could go to jail if they did, were less likely to commit future acts of violence. This law would be valuable to those of us who are fighting violence in intimate relationships: not only will women whose "choice" has been stolen from them have a right to civil and

Texans, please consider calling your Representative and Senator and maybe even Speaker of the House Craddick and ask them to help get HB 246 on the floor. We have 89 co-sponsors: more than a majority!! But, the TMA has insisted that the minority of bad doctors who cause a child's death due to negligence or malice and against the mother's will should not be held responsible for malpractice.

[hocndoc]

Texans, please call or e-mail Speaker of the House Craddick http://www.house.state.tx.us/speaker/welcome.htm and Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/LtGov/Ltgov.htm and let them know that Texas is for Prenatal Protection!!

(BTW, do we have a great Legislative website or what?)

[trussell]

Ping!!

Can this be appealed?

[hocndoc]

We have until the 15th to get the Bill on the floor. Then, we wait 2 years until the next legislative session.

Maybe y'all would like to call your doctor and ask him why the TMA is fighting HB 246.

Our Senators have also decided that the "Choose Life" license plate is "too controversial," according to my (up 'till now) Senator Jeff Wentworth. I actually snapped at the Senator's aide who said "someone" had told him that first we okay the Choose Life license plate, and the next thing you know, the Nazi's will want one, too. Senator Wentworth told me that the "Texas Horned Lizard" personalized plate is different: it's not controversial because it supports animal protection.

Thanks so much for the Ping list bump, trussell.

[hocndoc]

Whoops, I goofed in my original post. That sentence should read:

"This law would be valuable to those of us who are fighting violence in intimate relationships: not only will women whose "choice" has been stolen from them have a right to civil and criminal justice, but there is evidence that the law to protect the unborn child will have a deterent effect."

I'm not very good with HTML, so here's the home page of the Texas Legislature On-line:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

[hocndoc]

Here's more information:


Texas Alliance for Life Legislative Alert
May 7, 2003

The Prenatal Protection Act is a pro-life bill in the Texas legislature to make it a crime to kill an unborn child in the womb against the mother’s wishes, such as in cases of assault, drunk driving, and negligence.

We need your help to pass this bill in Texas by calling your state senator and representative. In California, Scott Peterson has been charged with two counts of homicide for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner. At least 26 states make the killing of an unborn child against the mother’s wishes a crime of homicide, including California. Yet Scott Peterson could not be prosecuted for the death of the unborn child in Texas because Texas has no such law!

Powerful opponents, including Planned Parenthood and the Texas Medical Association, have bottled up this urgently needed bill in committees. If we do not act quickly, this pro-life bill will die. This bill has been endorsed by all major pro-life organization in Texas. Please join pro-lifers across the state.

Please immediately call your state senator and representative and ask them to support the Prenatal Protection Act! You can reach your legislators through the Capitol Switchboard at 512-463-4630.

SAMPLE MESSAGE:
"Hello, my name is ______. I live in at ________. Please ask ______________ to SUPPORT the Prenatal Protection Act, HB 246 / SB 319. Thank you."

To see who your state senator and representative are, click here http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/address.htm and type your address.

Please call; it takes only a minute. Also, you can help by forwarding this message to your pro-life friends and family in Texas.

BACKGROUND

* The Prenatal Protection Act, SB 319 / HB 246, extends personhood to the unborn child from conception through birth
. It establishes criminal and civil penalties for a third party who kills an unborn child against the mother’s wishes, such as in cases of assault, drunk driving, and negligence. Criminals who wrongfully kill an unborn child could be charged with homicide. Parents would have the legal right to sue for the wrongful death of their unborn child, including in cases of medical malpractice when a doctor negligently kills an unborn child. Most other states already have these protections.

* All major pro-life, pro-family organizations in Texas support the Prenatal Protection Act.
Abortion advocacy groups, including Planned Parenthood and the Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, oppose these bills because the bills explicitly recognize that an unborn child is a baby.

* Currently at least 89 of 150 members of the Texas House have endorsed this bill, including a number of committee chairs and vice chairs. For a list, go to
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/billhist/billhist.d2w/report?LEG=78&SESS=R&CHAMBER=H&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00246

* All of the physicians in the Texas Legislature have endorsed this bill. Also, a number of prominent physicians support this bill including the Texas Physicians Resource Council (
http://www.freemarket.org/TPRC/Main.shtml).

* Unfortunately, some in the medical community, including the Texas Medical Association, oppose this bill.
They argue that a doctor who through negligence or gross negligence takes the life of an unborn child should not be held accountable.

* The public disagrees. 81% of the public supports holding bad doctors accountable,
according to the February, 2003, Scripps Howard Texas Poll. Furthermore, A national Fox News / Opinion Dynamics poll released April 25 found that 84% of registered voters agree that a double homicide charge is appropriate in the much-publicized Peterson murder case in California. Only 7% said that a one-victim charge would be appropriate.

For more information, click on www.texasallianceforlife.org. Or contact Dr. Joe Pojman, Ph.D., Executive Director, at 512-477-1244 or joe@texasallianceforlife.org.

Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) is an independent, non-sectarian, non-partisan pro-life organization based in Austin. TAL works exclusively through peaceful, legal means to protect innocent human lives from conception through natural death.

[trussell]

Thanks so much for the Ping list bump, trussell.

Your welcome. Thankyou for posting the story.

[Registered]

Are you aware of this?

[Registered]

I'm sure you'll respond in a day or two...

[hocndoc]

Thanks for the bumps!

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Are you aware of this?

I am now. Keep up the good work hocndoc!

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

We have until the 15th to get the Bill on the floor. Then, we wait 2 years until the next legislative session.

Texas Alliance for Life Legislative Alert
May 7, 2003

The Prenatal Protection Act is a pro-life bill in the Texas legislature to make it a crime to kill an unborn child in the womb against the mother’s wishes, such as in cases of assault, drunk driving, and negligence.

We need your help to pass this bill in Texas by calling your state senator and representative. In California, Scott Peterson has been charged with two counts of homicide for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner. At least 26 states make the killing of an unborn child against the mother’s wishes a crime of homicide, including California. Yet Scott Peterson could not be prosecuted for the death of the unborn child in Texas because Texas has no such law!

Powerful opponents, including Planned Parenthood and the Texas Medical Association, have bottled up this urgently needed bill in committees. If we do not act quickly, this pro-life bill will die. This bill has been endorsed by all major pro-life organization in Texas. Please join pro-lifers across the state.

Please immediately call your state senator and representative and ask them to support the Prenatal Protection Act! You can reach your legislators through the Capitol Switchboard at 512-463-4630.

SAMPLE MESSAGE:
"Hello, my name is ______. I live in at ________. Please ask ______________ to SUPPORT the Prenatal Protection Act, HB 246 / SB 319. Thank you."

To see who your state senator and representative are, click here http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/address.htm and type your address.

Please call; it takes only a minute. Also, you can help by forwarding this message to your pro-life friends and family in Texas.

BACKGROUND

* The Prenatal Protection Act, SB 319 / HB 246, extends personhood to the unborn child from conception through birth. It establishes criminal and civil penalties for a third party who kills an unborn child against the mother’s wishes, such as in cases of assault, drunk driving, and negligence. Criminals who wrongfully kill an unborn child could be charged with homicide. Parents would have the legal right to sue for the wrongful death of their unborn child, including in cases of medical malpractice when a doctor negligently kills an unborn child. Most other states already have these protections.

* All major pro-life, pro-family organizations in Texas support the Prenatal Protection Act. Abortion advocacy groups, including Planned Parenthood and the Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, oppose these bills because the bills explicitly recognize that an unborn child is a baby.

* Currently at least 89 of 150 members of the Texas House have endorsed this bill, including a number of committee chairs and vice chairs. For a list, go to http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/db2www/tlo/billhist/billhist.d2w/report?LEG=78&SESS=R&CHAMBER=H&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00246

* All of the physicians in the Texas Legislature have endorsed this bill. Also, a number of prominent physicians support this bill including the Texas Physicians Resource Council ( http://www.freemarket.org/TPRC/Main.shtml).

* Unfortunately, some in the medical community, including the Texas Medical Association, oppose this bill. They argue that a doctor who through negligence or gross negligence takes the life of an unborn child should not be held accountable.

* The public disagrees. 81% of the public supports holding bad doctors accountable, according to the February, 2003, Scripps Howard Texas Poll. Furthermore, A national Fox News / Opinion Dynamics poll released April 25 found that 84% of registered voters agree that a double homicide charge is appropriate in the much-publicized Peterson murder case in California. Only 7% said that a one-victim charge would be appropriate.

For more information, click on www.texasallianceforlife.org. Or contact Dr. Joe Pojman, Ph.D., Executive Director, at 512-477-1244 or joe@texasallianceforlife.org.

Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) is an independent, non-sectarian, non-partisan pro-life organization based in Austin. TAL works exclusively through peaceful, legal means to protect innocent human lives from conception through natural death.

[Registered]

Good job! THANKS!

[hocndoc]

Thank you both for the work and especially for the pings.

[hocndoc]

Thank you so much for alerting Ms.Antifeminazi.

This might also be a good time to ask that the Cloning Ban (SB 156 and HB1175) be passed out of Committees and on to the floor. In 2 years, the cloning industry could have a strong foot hold in Texas, if the Legislature doesn't act now.

[hocndoc]

Bump for Texas babies and mothers