FL: Anti-abortion bill with ‘fetal pain’ language nears final House vote

[maddezmom]

A bill containing a slew of anti-abortion rights measures, including a highly controversial “fetal pain” provision, is on its way to a final vote on the House floor.

The bill, which is sponsored by state Rep. Rachel Burgin, R-Riverview, has been criticized by women’s health advocates for being what they call an “omnibus anti-choice bill” because it contains several measures that would make it harder for women to obtain legal abortions in the state. The bill would also make it very difficult for providers to perform the legal service. Furthermore, the bill does not include protections for the mental and physical health of women who are pregnant. As of last week, the bill also includes a provision that would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks.

The measure is similar to a handful of bills seen last year in legislatures across the country. These so-called “fetal pain” bills have been found to be “neither scientifically nor constitutionally sound” by researchers and operate under the premise that a fetus can feel pain as early as 20 weeks, outlawing abortions once a fetus is presumed to feel pain.

Current law protects a woman’s right to have an abortion up to at least 22-24 weeks. The most recent study on this issue, published in Current Biology, found that a fetus does not feel pain until 35 to 37 weeks of gestation.

more: http://floridaindependent.com/70935/anti-abortion-bill-with-fetal-pain-language-nears-final-house-vote

[catbyte]

1. All these woman-hating bills give ME pain

Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Sophie, Taz, Leo & Nigel, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"We ride inside--hiss!"

tomorrow is the MI primary--yay!!!!!!! no more shitty ads until later in the year. I can go back to non-DVR'd newds.

[HockeyMom]

2. Hey, you morons

A ruptured tubal pregnancy is VERY, VERY painful. So is a breach birth. So is a 30 hour labor. Why is it always MEN telling WOMEN how much pain they should have? MEN HAVE NO PAIN AT ALL.

[Warpy]

3. Yet it's been determined that the brain structures capable of feeling and interpreting stimuli

as pain don't begin to develop until late in the third trimester, when abortions become premature births except in the direst of circumstances (like anencephaly). It's also unclear whether or not those structures are fully capable of doing so since the agony of being compressed in the birth canal during hours of labor would send anyone with fully functioning pain centers into shock.

This bill is just more nonscientific, hysterical, woman hating garbage.