Pro-abortion legislator argues against law to protect babies

The Alaska State Senate voted 18-2 on March 31 in favor of a bill that would allow parents to place their newborn infant, younger than 21 days old, in a baby box. While the bill had overwhelming support, Senators Löki Tobin and Bert Stedman voted against it, with Tobin saying she opposes baby boxes because she feels they could be misused.

Key Takeaways:

• A bill in Alaska would allow parents to surrender newborns up to 21 days old to a baby box installed at a facility such as a fire station or hospital without prosecution.

• Two state senators voted against the bill, with one claiming that it could be misused and would allow teens to hide their pregnancies from their parents.

• Senator Löki Tobin's arguments were an attempt to turn pro-life arguments against pro-lifers.

The Details:

As of 2008, Alaska law allows a parent to surrender an infant under 21 days old to a doctor, nurse, firefighter, or peace officer anonymously without fear of prosecution. The new bill would allow a parent to surrender an infant into a baby box, installed at facilities like fire departments and hospitals, without being prosecuted. The goal is to prevent unsafe infant abandonment.

Since 2013, three babies have been known to have been abandoned in the state. Two were found dead and one was found alive despite below-zero temperatures.

"No child should die because a parent is afraid," bill sponsor Robb Myers said, according to the Alaska Watchman.

Twenty-two other states have implemented baby boxes with success — the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization has seen over 150 babies safely surrendered, received 9,000 calls to its hotline, and referred over 500 women to pregnancy help centers.

Zoom In:

Alaska State Senator Löki Tobin, however, does not support the initiative.

"The potential misuses for these devices far outweigh the benefits," she said. She claimed that there are no waiting periods, no informed consent, and no permission from the baby's father necessary to surrender a baby.

These are common pro-life arguments against abortion, and Tobin is attempting to use them as a "gotcha moment." However, baby boxes have the intent to save lives and help women, not to end lives. While not the ideal situation, the boxes are meant to prevent desperate acts that cost innocent children's lives.

The National Safe Haven Alliance also states:

If a situation does occur that a parent wishes to reclaim the baby the parent would contact the designated state family services agency to initiate this process and consider obtaining legal assistance to regain custody of the child.

For a father that believes his newborn may be relinquished using Safe Haven law, contact state putative fathers registry to register for notification and instructions.

Tobin also argued that teens might use the baby boxes in an effort to "hide or conceal their pregnancy from their parents." She added, "Their parents' right will be denied."

But such surrenders would indicate that the baby boxes are working. In some cases, they may be working by helping teens to avoid an illegally coerced abortion at the hands of their parents, or help them to surrender their baby safely rather than cause harm due to stress or embarrassment, as has been seen so many times.

The Alaska Watchman points out:

Alaska law allows minors to undergo abortions without their parents’ knowledge or consent. In fact, girls can be taken to an abortion facility by those who do not have their best interests in mind and who want the preborn baby killed.

While Tobin opposed the bill aimed at saving infants, she has yet to express any misgivings about the potential abuse or coercion of women who are pressured into aborting their babies against their will.

Her focus on abortion has instead emphasized so-called “privacy rights,” unfettered access, and opposition to any perceived barriers.

Currently, Alaska does not have a parental notification law for abortions on minors, and abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy. Therefore, Tobin's objections about "parents' rights" when it comes to baby boxes in the state seems to be little more than political theater.

The Bottom Line:

Living babies, safely surrendered to authorities without the prosecution of parents, will always be better than babies violently killed by abortion, and women suffering with the knowledge that they ended their children's lives.

The bill now moves to the state House.