Federal judge strikes down Idaho ban on late-term abortions

[Tx4obama]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a 2011 Idaho law that banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, ruling that the measure is unconstitutional.

Idaho is one of numerous states that have enacted late-term abortion prohibitions in recent years based on controversial medical research suggesting that a fetus feels pain starting at 20 weeks of gestation.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/07/us-usa-abortion-idaho-idUSBRE92603L20130307?feedType=RSS

[MotherPetrie]

1. K&R!

[Control-Z]

2. A show of sanity for a change!!

Yes! Big K&R

[lobodons]

3. 21 weeks is Late Term?

21 weeks is now considered Late Term?

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Happy Women's History Month. eom

[Tx4obama]

6. But ... BAD news out of Arkansas today...

Arkansas 12-Week Abortion Ban Becomes Law
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014417601

[Arkansas Granny]

7. Governor Beebe had vetoed the bill and warned that

it's was unconstitutional. Now it's will be fought in the courts at the expense of Arkansas taxpayers.

[Politicub]

5. K&R! Elections matter

[TeeYiYi]

8. re:"research suggesting that a fetus feels pain starting at 20 weeks of gestation."...

I have to assume they banned circumcision as well.

TYY

[Zoeisright]

9. Yeah, "controversial medical research" means

non-peer reviewed, poorly designed, and unproven.

[2naSalit]

10. A word about

the federal Judge who made that decision...

He is the most honest and just federal adjudicator that I have ever met anywhere in this country, too bad we can't clone this man. I have met him, been involved in cases that were argued before him (we won most) and even when he didn't rule in favor of the cases I was for, he had truly looked at the law with an unjaundiced eye and I was okay with honoring his decision even if I wasn't for it because of his level of fairness in coming to the decision he made. The man knows a "no brainer" when he sees one.

When I was in college, in Idaho, I was one of the students who elected and honored him with our Greek society's "Statesman of the Year Award". He has only improved over the years in his role as a check on the balance of cases that come before him whether it is to protect federally administered public lands, ESA rulings or this issue. Hooray for Judge Winmill, may he live long and continue to be the fair and balance justice that he is and has been for quite some time now.

Now if we could get some like him into the SCOTUS!!! And soon. He's one of the very few in Idaho who aren't batshit crazy with the power of the office they hold.

Idaho's lucky t have him. And congrats to the bewildered women of Idaho!

[Samantha]

11. I think one of the reasons we see this type of repetition of banning of abortions

is that the Republicans desperately want one of these cases to go to the Supreme Court so that Roe will be repealed. That could certainly happen with a 5-4 decision in the next few years. But if President Obama gets to appoint any more Supreme Court judges, that probably doesn't stand a chance of happening again for decades.

There has to be a reason why these right-wingers keep passing these bills they know are unconstitutional. This one I gave seems pretty possible to me, but who can second-guess these people....

Sam

[COLGATE4]

12. I don't think there's a shadow of a doubt

that you're correct in this assumption. The Rethugs are basically split into two factions on how to do away with Roe: the incrementalists, who specialize in tailoring laws like forced vaginal ultrasound(s), TRAP legislation, waiting periods, etc. with a view to making abortion legal but either extremely unpleasant or factually unavailable and the hard liners, who are passing law after law which openly violates Roe, hoping it will be heard by this Supreme Court. This is a perfect example of the latter, as is the Arkansas 12-week abortion prohibition. And, if one of these cases does land before the USSCt I am very doubtful that Roe would emerge unscathed.

[Samantha]

13. I share your doubt and I am worried

I don't see any of the predictable 5 voting with the predicable 4. I might have to research Kennedy's position on that issue when I come home this evening just to verify what I am thinking.

Talk to you later.

Sam