Posted on 03/09/2003 8:04:47 PM PST by madprof98
ATLANTA -- Helen Swanson can't count the number of conversations she has had with women who decided to have an abortion in Georgia.
There are simply too many, she says.
As a member of the Volunteer Drivers Network, Swanson offers free rides to abortion clinics for women who have no other means of transportation.
"They say to me, 'I wanted a husband, a house and a picket fence, but that isn't going to be my life,' " recalls the 62-year-old retired nurse.
Swanson, like many people on both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion debate, wonders how her work may change in coming months.
Georgia politics underwent a massive realignment in 2002, with Sonny Perdue becoming the state's first Republican governor in 130 years.
Although Democrats maintained control of the House, they quickly saw their majority in the Senate disappear. Following Perdue's victory, four Senate Democrats switched parties, giving GOP lawmakers a 30-26 majority in the chamber.
With the state's more-conservative party at the helm of Georgia government, pro-life advocates suddenly found themselves with more allies in influential positions.
"We're very pleased," said Patricia Chivers, chief lobbyist for Georgia Right to Life. "It's much more open. What this means to us in the pro-life movement is that if we can get (new laws) through the legislature, Gov. Perdue will sign them into law."
A chance to debate
Beth Cope, director of the Georgia Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, says her organization has been watching at least a dozen different abortion-related bills since the legislative session began in January.
"We're busy," said Cope, describing this year's session as more active with respect to reproductive issues than recent years.
In the past, Georgia Democrats' control of both chambers allowed the party to stop any bill that they believed would make a woman's access to abortion more complicated. Their reasons may have been political, though.
"In order to protect the rank-and-file Democrats, they would not let it come up for a vote," said Charles Bullock, a University of Georgia political scientist, noting that any vote on abortion could prove troublesome for a lawmaker facing re-election. "That's all changed now."
This year Republicans have already passed one abortion bill in the Senate.
The bill, known as the "Woman's Right to Know Act," would require women to meet with their doctors for counseling 24 hours in advance of having an abortion.
Doctors would have to tell patients about such options as adoption and governmental aid.
The resulting waiting period would allow women to consider the physical and emotional risks of having an abortion, said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Don Cheeks, R-Augusta.
After passing out of committee, the bill generated hours of passionate debate on the Senate floor. The chamber eventually passed the bill by a vote of 34-19.
Other proposed laws range from the creation of pro-life license plates to requiring a grand jury to convict a fetus of a capital crime before an abortion can take place.
Political observers say it is highly unlikely the legislation -- even if passed by the Senate -- would ever gain approval by the House.
"The House will probably sit on at least some of these proposals, maybe not killing them all," Bullock said. "I think the extreme ones, it would not pass."
House leaders, including Judiciary Chairman Tom Bordeaux, D-Savannah, and Rules Chairman Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, have both said they would not allow the "Woman's Right to Know Act" to make it to the House floor for a full vote.
Pro-life advocates say the House leadership's statements do not discourage them.
"I'm very hopeful this year," Chivers said. "Our purpose is to engage in activities that will restore respect and effective legal protection for all human beings, from the moment of fertilization until natural death. We have a long-term commitment."
Centrist Democrats critical
Both sides of the abortion debate say they are focusing more effort than usual on centrist Democrats from rural Georgia.
So far, the pro-life side appears to be winning over more of the middle-of-the-road politicians.
Six Senate Democrats crossed the partisan divide to give their support to the "Woman's Right to Know Act."
Sen. Tim Golden, D-Valdosta, said it was difficult for him to vote to support the bill.
"I've always said I'm a sound-minded, Zell Miller Democrat, which basically means I'm one who is pretty moderate on some issues and pretty conservative on others," he said.
Members of Georgia Right to Life say they hope their talks with centrists Democrats in the House will result in the same success the organization had in passing the 24-hour wait in the Senate.
"Women need to have the medical information in order to make an informed decision prior to abortion," said Caryl Swift, president of Georgia Right to Life. "Over 15 other states have passed this common-sense legislation."
Pro-choice advocates say they will work to educate as many House members as possible about the difficulties they say the bill would cause.
Mary Brueggemann, who also works with the Volunteer Drivers Network, says a 24-hour wait would double the number of long driving trips for women from south Georgia, where there are no abortion providers in most areas.
"Having an abortion is no small feat given the way it is now," said the 67-year-old ordained minister. "You add 24 hours to that and you block abortions for a lot of women."
Georgia women who want to have an in-state abortion must drive to Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus or Savannah, Planned Parenthood reports.
Providing lawmakers with such information as the location of abortion clinics could result in the critical votes needed to pass or stall upcoming legislation.
Sen. Peg Blitch, D-Homerville, represents the southern-most district in Georgia.
The self-described "conservative Democrat" was unable to vote on the "Woman's Right to Know Act" because she was sick.
Blitch initially said she would have voted for the 24-hour wait.
But when she learned the closest Georgia abortion clinic to her district was in Savannah, she changed her opinion on the 24-hour wait, saying it would require women to drive too far.
Blitch said she would have preferred a compromise on the bill, requiring women to receive counseling from their doctors, but without a mandated wait.
"I would have offered an amendment, with no waiting period," she said. "I don't think 24 hours is necessary."
I believe the point is that in order to kill an unborn child you must prove that it is guilty of a capital offense - which of course is impossible.
It's amazing how terrified Democrats are to even mention the word liberal. LOL!
Hey, at least the fact that these Southern 'Rats would CONSIDER voting for the bill is better than many Kansas "Moderate" (sic) Republicans who wouldn't consider it whatsoever. But, still, your point is well taken.
"This article shows that pro-life Democrats are vanishing even on a local level."
They're coming under pressure from the same extremist groups that hold a gun to the head of the 'Rats at the national level. Simply put, being pro-abortion is an absolute necessity to run as a 'Rat or you risk getting the carpet yanked from under you, no matter how local a pol. What a shame.
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