Mississippi House votes to ban dismemberment abortions

The Mississippi House of Representatives has voted 83-33 to pass HB 519, a ban on dismemberment abortions.

The Mississippi Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act would prohibit the dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion procedure common in the second trimester.

Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist who performed over 1,200 abortions, describes the procedure in length in the following video.

This doctor has performed over 1,200 abortions. Now, he’s revealing what actually happens during a second trimester abortion procedure. This video may just change the abortion debate.

Posted by Live Action on Wednesday, February 24, 2016

“Dismemberment abortion is unimaginably cruel and has no place in Mississippi,” Mississippi Right to Life President Barbara Whitehead said, celebrating the news. “We look forward to joining the states of Kansas and Oklahoma in passing this strong pro-life legislation.” The bill now moves to the state Senate. The Senate has a pro-life majority and the governor, Phil Bryant, is pro-life as well. Americans United for Life rates Mississippi the fifth most pro-life state in the country.

Abortion advocates have long taken issue with the phrase “dismemberment abortion.” However, “dismemberment” accurately describes the D&E procedure, which consists of pulling a fetus apart limb by limb in the womb, as confirmed both by Live Action’s Abortion Procedures series and by the National Abortion Federation’s own materials. Notably, however, NAF’s training graphics detailing the procedure falsely depict an empty womb.

Previously, dismemberment abortion bans have been enacted but blocked in Kansas and Oklahoma, and introduced in Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. According to Marist’s latest annual abortion survey, 81% of Americans oppose elective abortion beyond the first trimester.