LIFE DIGEST: Kansas, Idaho enact pain-capable abortion bans
- Apr 19, 2011 -
Kansas and Idaho have become the latest states to enact laws to ban abortions of unborn children who are able to feel pain.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, signed into law April 12 legislation to prohibit abortions after 21 weeks of gestation based on evidence a baby in the womb experiences pain by that point. A day later, Idaho Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter, also a Republican, signed a similar bill that bars abortions after 20 weeks.
Also in this edition: More than 500 babies saved from abortion this spring, 40 Days reports, Swiss OK of assisted suicide in nursing homes appears near, and Bioethics specialist: ‘Shame on’ Final Exit, Knoxville church.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, is expected to sign a similar ban into law soon.
The states are following in the pioneering footsteps of Nebraska, which became in 2010 the first state to enact such a law.
The legislation, typically named the Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act, usually sets the ban at 20 weeks of gestation based on the evidence for fetal pain at that point. The pain-capable model sets the benchmark earlier than one based on fetal viability, which can be 22 to 24 weeks.
Brownback also signed a bill requiring minors to receive consent from both parents before obtaining an abortion.
“These bills are a reflection of the culture of life that is being embraced all across Kansas,” Brownback said in a written statement. “They represent a mainstream, bi-partisan, and common sense approach to a divisive issue.”
In other state legislative news:
- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, signed into law April 12 a bill to eliminate state income tax credits for charitable donations to Planned Parenthood Arizona and to bar state university funds from being used for abortion training, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
- The Indiana Senate voted 36-13 April 18 for an amendment that would prohibit Planned Parenthood of Indiana from receiving state funds and 48-0 April 14 for a bill that would require all abortions performed on girls under 14 to be reported to the state within three days.
More than 500 babies saved from abortion this spring, 40 Days reports
At least 503 unborn babies were saved from abortion in this spring’s 40 Days for Life campaign.
The pro-life effort, which closed April 17, also passed 4,000 children saved since 40 Days for Life went national in 2007. The latest cumulative total is 4,102, according to an April 19 report on the organization’s website.
This spring’s effort is the largest of 40 Days for Life’s eight campaigns. It has grown from 89 participating locations to 247 cities this spring in the United States and 10 other countries.
The biannual campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting to end abortion, as well as community outreach and peaceful prayer vigils outside abortion clinics.
The next 40 Days campaign will be next fall.
Swiss OK of assisted suicide in nursing homes appears near
Assisted-suicide advocates in Switzerland soon may have a new pool of recruits to their lethal cause – nursing home residents.
The citizens of Vaud, one of 26 cantons in Switzerland, will vote on a referendum to implement regulations on assisted suicides for residents of government-subsidized nursing homes, according to the Daily Mail, a British newspaper. Vaud voters approved in 2009 an earlier referendum to enact such a law and now need only to pass the guidelines to enforce the measure.
Holding a public referendum on such an issue is “disgraceful,” said Jerome Azau, director of a nursing home in Lausanne, the capital of Vaud, the Daily Mail reported.
“It sends a message to young people that they can simply commit suicide when they get older,” Azau said. “It’s unacceptable.”
Switzerland permits assisted suicide. It has five organizations that aid in the practice.
Bioethics specialist: ‘Shame on’ Final Exit, Knoxville church
The Final Exit Network and a Unitarian church in Knoxville, Tenn., should be ashamed for inviting 13 year olds to a “death with dignity” seminar, said bioethics specialist Wesley Smith.
Final Exit Network (FEN), which supports suicide and assisted suicide, will present “Death With Dignity: The Human Right of the 21st Century” May 8 at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC). An online announcement of the event says it is for ages 13 years and older.
“Shame on FEN,” Smith wrote on his blog April 14. “Shame on this TVUUC for allowing children to attend a suicide promoting presentation.
“Children that age are very impressionable and don’t necessarily get” the “mixed message” from assisted-suicide promoters that contends “suicide is good for some suffering people but not for them,” Smith wrote.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to protect the sanctity of human life. If you would like to learn more about this issue, additional resources are available here. Our free, downloadable Impact resource is also available online. If your church is interested in purchasing materials on the sanctity of human life, please visit our online bookstore and erlc.com
Further Learning
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