New Hampshire Senate votes down bill to make abortion a right

A New Hampshire bill that would have codified abortion as a right in the state and protected abortionists was rejected in the state Senate by a 16-8 vote on March 5.

Key Takeaways:

• The New Hampshire Senate voted against SB551, which would have codified abortion as a right and would have created a "shield law" protecting abortionists who commit abortions on out-of-state women or ship the abortion pill into states where killing preborn children is restricted.

• Some doctors testified that passing the bill would inspire them to practice in New Hampshire; however, this bribe did not work. There is a national OB/GYN shortage, and there are maternity care deserts even within states that do not restrict abortion.

• The bill would have allowed abortionists to commit abortions at any time for any reason, to sell the abortion pill to women out of state, and to avoid facing penalties if a woman from a pro-life state suffered a complication as a result of the abortion.

The Details:

The bill, SB551-FN, would have "Declare[d] that every individual present in the state has a right to reproductive health care as defined, and authorizes lawsuits against any who tortiously attempt to interfere with such right." It also would have prohibited "government officials or police agencies from cooperating with any out of state investigation into protected health care activity, subject to certain exceptions" or "extraditing certain individuals for legally protected health care activity." The bill also "[p]rohibits malpractice insurers from taking into account certain provisions of protected health care activity."

While abortion is legal in the state through 24 weeks for any reason, pro-abortion legislators clearly felt that even this law was too restrictive. Yet, babies born prematurely as young as 21 weeks gestation have survived with medical care.

Health care officials testified last month that if abortion were made a right and the state would protect them for committing abortions on women from pro-life states, they would choose New Hampshire for their business.

There is a national OB/GYN shortage leading to maternity care deserts across the country — even in states where abortion is not restricted. New Hampshire is not the only state struggling with this problem. But most OB/GYNs don't commit abortions.

Essentially, the medical professionals who testified in favor of the bill want free range and legal protection to profit financially by killing as many babies as they can, which selling the abortion pill across state lines allows. But they also want legal protection so that when women to whom they sell the abortion pill experience complications, they don't have to fear legal action against them.

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The abortion pill causes hemorrhage, has a high failure rate, and can cause infection and sepsis. Buying the pill through telemedicine without a doctor's exam increases the likelihood of complications. This was the case when New York abortionist Margaret Carpenter shipped the abortion pill to a mother in Louisiana who coerced her teen to take the drugs. The teen suffered complications.

Commentary:

Pro-abortion group Reproductive Equity Now reacted to the Senate's rejection of the bill by claiming failure to pass the bill would "mak[e] New Hampshire a less safe, less healthy place to work and live."

The group openly admitted that the "Shield Law for Reproductive Health Care Access" would have done the following:

⒈ Codify the right to reproductive health care services, inclusive of care and services to pregnancy, assisted reproduction, contraception, pregnancy loss, and pregnancy termination;

⒉ Ensure New Hampshire law governs in any case or controversy related to reproductive health care when provided by a licensed New Hampshire clinician within New Hampshire’s borders;

⒊ Prohibiting New Hampshire public officials from cooperating in any way with investigations related to reproductive health care or related activity;

⒋ Specifically prohibiting the Governor from extradition requests from other states related to reproductive health care activity;

⒌ Protecting providers from professional discipline and medical malpractice rate hikes if they are the subject of out-of-state litigation related to reproductive health care activity;

⒍ Establishing a cause of action for any person who is subject to abusive out-of-state litigation to pursue a civil action, giving defendants a remedy to seek damages, and to deter abusive lawsuits.

The Bottom Line:

Induced abortion is the direct and intentional killing of a preborn human being and is not a right. Allowing abortionists to ship the abortion pill across the nation with zero medical care provided puts abortionists and profit ahead of women's safety. This bill and those like it are examples of putting profits above people.