Posted on 03/02/2006 11:34:31 PM PST by WKB
Jackson, MS (LifeNews.com) -- Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, says he will sign a measure that bans virtually all abortions in the state should it make its way through the legislature and reach his desk. A state House committee approved the ban on a wide margin.
The measure would prohibit all abortions except in very rare cases when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. It does not allow exceptions for abortions in cases of rape or incest -- something Barbour says he favors.
"It hasn't gotten to my desk yet. When one gets there, we'll find out, and I suspect I'll sign it," Barbour told the Associated Press.
"But I would certainly rather it come to my desk with an exception for rape and incest. I think that's consistent with the opinion of the vast majority of Mississippians and Americans," he added.
The measure is now headed to the full state House which is slated to hold a debate and vote on the measure next week. Speaker Billy McCoy, a Democrat, told AP he believes the measure will be approved and advance to the Senate.
Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, a pro-life Republican, says she hasn't had a chance to read the text of the abortion ban but suspects the Senate will be supportive.
"I think this body will look very strongly on pro-life issues," Tuck, who runs the Senate, said.
Like abortion advocates in South Dakota, those in Mississippi say they would immediately file a lawsuit against the legislation should Barbour sign it into law.
Nsombi Lambright, executive director of the American Civil Liberties in Mississippi, told AP outside pro-abortion groups have contacted her about suing.
In committee the lawmakers turned a bill to help women avoid abortions by allowing them to view an ultrasound of their unborn child beforehand into an abortion ban.
Terri Herring, president of Pro-Life Mississippi, said residents of her state would love to ban abortions. However, she worried the Supreme Court doesn't have the votes necessary to uphold an abortion ban and said that the ultrasound bill would have helped stopped abortions immediately, unlike the abortion ban which will be tied up in courts for years.
"We don't know that the current Supreme Court is up to meet the challenge of overturning Roe v. Wade," she explained. "To have a law in the courts would, in effect, not make any substantive change in Mississippi's abortion practices."
The Mississippi measure comes just one week after South Dakota lawmakers gave final approval to the same kind of abortion ban there. Gov. Mike Rounds is expected to sign the legislation soon.
Like South Dakota, Mississippi has just one abortion business. Located in Jackson, it does about 3,000 abortions annually.
Susan Hill, president of the North-Carolina-based National Women's Health Organization, which owns the abortion center, told the Jackson newspaper she thinks the bill is simply election year pandering. She also condemned lawmakers for excluding rape and incest exceptions.
The committee approved the abortion ban on a 19-4 vote.
Mississippi\Baptist ping
I don't know all that much about Haley Barbour but every time I have seem him on tv he seems pretty good.
As RR was the best President ever
Haley will be Ms's best Gov. ever.
Good news!
every time I have seen him on tv I have been impressed, and like him. but, like I said I don't know that much about him.
I just seen him on Harball, wow! Haley '08! This guy is great!
I'd like to know about him, but he seems like a guy that knows whats goin' on.
Haley has said he WILL NOT be running in 08
and leave MS is the wake of katrina.
and Haley is no Bill Clinton
He ran on "no new taxes"
and has already vetoed 2 tax hikes this year.
he keeps his word.
TOOO EAARRRRLLLLYYYY.
Good grief, how hard is basic addition and subtraction?
Wait till AFTER Stephens is replaced, THEN do this stuff.
It'll just make it harder if we do it now without a realistic shot, and I don't think we have a realistic shot with the current makeup.
Right now, we're better of with doing minor things like the PBA that can chip away at it.
Hes seems like a great guy, much respect for him. People MS can be proud.
TOOO EAARRRRLLLLYYYY.
NO I disagree 35 years too damn late
if you ask me.
With all the noise about the recent South Dakota law, there was one small note that there is a total of one abortion clinic in the state. It doesn't sound like a law change is going to make a big difference in national results.
Anybody know if the same idea holds true in Mississippi?
I agree, abortion should never have been legalized, especially by Supreme Court Mandate.
Explain how this is going to stop it when the SC is AT LEAST 5-4 against overturning RvW?
All the good intentions in the world don't do you a damn thing if you don't have the ability to actually carry it out.
Prudence = right ends + right means.
Trying to accomplish something without one or the other is disasterous.
It doesn't sound like a law change is going to make a big difference in national results.
Right now there is one abortion clinic left in Ms
and since it is not going to make a big difference
in the National picture
I'll call Haley in the morning and tell him
to veto this bill.
Doesn't hurt to play offense once in a while. We might even score.
If we can get the states polarized by region on this issue we might have another civil war. Well, maybe not a civil war, but this isn't really an issue of states' rights. If an unborn child is a human being, his right to live should depend on no law passed by any legislature.
If an unborn child is a human being, his right to live should depend on no law passed by any legislature.
What shoud it depend on then?
Roe V Wade?
True. That's why I think now is a perfect time to do things with parental notification, PB abortion, waiting periods etc.
Just because you want to run offense doesn't mean throwing the ball long when you don't have enough recievers.
No, I never said anything like that, but that's a nice false dellema to try to win an arguement! It might work on some idiot out there, but not me.
There is a large difference between rolling over and playing dead and going for a full out frontal assult when the enemy is still stronger then you. And when you have 5 men that all are on record as supporting Roe, and two unknowns that are likely to oppose it but aren't a sure thing, and you need 5 out of 9 votes, that isn't the time for a frontal assult.
The liberals got where they are one step at the time. It's the only way we will take this country back.
Ummm...
Can you actually use this arguement against me with a straight face? I'd be interested in knowing, because that is 'exactly' what I'm advocating. It is exactly the 'opposite' of what you are suggesting.
If enough states do this it might help the USSC to make the right decision
No, it won't. SC Judges don't come up for re-election. They don't give a damn about that sort of thing.
If we as states and people don't give a damn why should they.
This statement has no point that I can see, and it certainly won't change the minds of the 5 justices who support Roe.
Look, I desperately hope I'm wrong, and a judge or two 'sees the light' and changes his mind, and both Roberts and Alito will overturn Roe outright right away. But I don't live in a fantasy world, I live in the real world where God gave us brains to try to deduce the best option from a series of imperfect possibilities. You don't throw the long ball when you don't have a reciever.
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