Kirsten Andersen
LifeSiteNews
1/18/2013
By promoting one of the most expansive abortion bills in American history, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has opened a civil war on two fronts: with his church and with elements of his own party.
Cuomo is pushing for a massive expansion of access to abortion in the state, including lifting restrictions on third-trimester abortions, allowing non-doctors to perform the procedure, and enshrining a fundamental right to “terminate a pregnancy” in New York state law.
Democrats for Life of America deemed the proposed bill “the most sweeping abortion legislation in the nation.”
The Democratic governor introduced the bill to cheers during his January 9 State of the State address, shrouding it in the name of “women’s equality.”
“The abortion language would allow late-term abortions, allow non-doctors to perform abortions, and supersede any reasonable restrictions such as parental notification,” the group stated.
“It is out of touch with the views of most Americans, out of touch with the views of most Democrats, and could hamper real reform for women’s rights,” the Democratic group concluded.
Particularly “in a state that already has one of the highest abortion rates,” double the national average…
- The bill endangers the religious liberty of Catholic hospitals and other institutions.
While the bill contains limited conscience protection, that protection is ambiguous and inadequate and is extended only to individual health providers who do not wish to “provide” abortions (protection that is already guaranteed by Civil Rights law.) What is not provided in the bill are protections for institutional providers, such as religious hospitals and other agencies that do not wish to be involved with abortion. The bill declares that “the state shall not discriminate” against the exercise of the fundamental right to abortion in the “provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.” In other words, it would permit state regulators, such as the State Health Department or State Insurance Department, to require support for abortion from any agency or institution licensed or funded by the state….
The complete article is at LifeSiteNews.com
H/T iOwnTheWorld
Update: Sarah Palin slams Obama’s hypocrisy of wanting to save the lives of children but not the unborn
