I understand the importance of gratitude as much as the next person. As a lobbyist, I forget it at my peril. So thank you, senators. And now permit me to quibble.
The New Hampshire Senate passed two bills that are years overdue: a ban on partial-birth abortions (HB 1679) and a bill to examine the possibility of collecting abortion statistics (HB 1680). Great news, momentous victories - and you probably have to have been around Concord as long as I have to appreciate just how momentous. Persistence pays off. Three other bills with pro-life implications met worse fates: killed, tabled, interim study.
When I'm up in the gallery cheering for five bills and two of them pass, it's a good day, even though one newspaper headline said pro-lifers were "crushed." Crushed? Not so much. I will, however, admit that my happiness was alloyed with a strong dose of the annoyance only an ex-Republican can understand.
Showing posts with label HB 1680. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HB 1680. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Your move, Governor Lynch
Two pro-life bills were passed by the New Hampshire Senate today, and the sky didn't fall.
The NH Senate passed HB 1679 today on a straight party-line vote, agreeing with the House that it is not a good idea for New Hampshire to put out the welcome mat for practitioners who want to do late-term abortions by the "partial-birth" method, also known as D&X. Partial-birth abortion is as close to infanticide as can be managed. Banning the method saves no babies, and Roe is unscathed. Nevertheless, this is a momentous day. The New Hampshire legislature, for the first time since NH's 19th-century abortion laws were repealed a few years ago, has said "no" to one abortion method.
A bill to collect abortion statistics (HB 1680) was amended and attenuated to the point where it now sets up a committee to study how to collect the stats. The House passed it, and the Senate today adopted it on a voice vote.
Three other bills fared less well in the Senate today, but got further this year than could have been hoped in earlier sessions. Women's Right to Know (HB 1659, with a 24-hour waiting period before abortion) was killed by the Senate, but just hours later the House attached it as a nongermane amendment to another bill. That was fun. Not sure how the Senators will feel having it tossed back at them, but we'll see. HB 1660, to stop abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, went to interim study. HB 228, the funding bill, was tabled.
Of course, WMUR tweeted "Senate blocks House-passed abortion bills." No tweets about the passage of the partial-birth ban. New Hampshire's news leader, I'm told ...
Governor Lynch should weigh in on the two successful bills shortly. Place your bets.
The NH Senate passed HB 1679 today on a straight party-line vote, agreeing with the House that it is not a good idea for New Hampshire to put out the welcome mat for practitioners who want to do late-term abortions by the "partial-birth" method, also known as D&X. Partial-birth abortion is as close to infanticide as can be managed. Banning the method saves no babies, and Roe is unscathed. Nevertheless, this is a momentous day. The New Hampshire legislature, for the first time since NH's 19th-century abortion laws were repealed a few years ago, has said "no" to one abortion method.
A bill to collect abortion statistics (HB 1680) was amended and attenuated to the point where it now sets up a committee to study how to collect the stats. The House passed it, and the Senate today adopted it on a voice vote.
Three other bills fared less well in the Senate today, but got further this year than could have been hoped in earlier sessions. Women's Right to Know (HB 1659, with a 24-hour waiting period before abortion) was killed by the Senate, but just hours later the House attached it as a nongermane amendment to another bill. That was fun. Not sure how the Senators will feel having it tossed back at them, but we'll see. HB 1660, to stop abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, went to interim study. HB 228, the funding bill, was tabled.
Of course, WMUR tweeted "Senate blocks House-passed abortion bills." No tweets about the passage of the partial-birth ban. New Hampshire's news leader, I'm told ...
Governor Lynch should weigh in on the two successful bills shortly. Place your bets.
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