Commentary

Governor Butch Otter signed SB 1243 into law today. This legislation adds to the existing Informed Consent Law by requiring information be delivered to women about the possibility of reversing a chemical abortion.

A chemical abortion, using the drug regimen commonly known as RU-486, involves taking two pills. The first kills the baby by depriving it of oxygen and nutrition.  Several days after the first pill, the woman is instructed to take the second drug, which induces labor.  The dead baby is then expelled.

The APR protocol has been proven effective at saving the baby’s life if the woman is treated soon after taking the first pill. Hormones are used to overpower the effects of the first pill.  This is essentially the process used to help women at high risk of miscarriage.

SB 1243 was brought forward by Right to Life and sponsored in the Senate by Meridian’s Lori Den Hartog. The House sponsor was Rep. Gayann DeMordaunt.  We publicly thank these strong women for their leadership and hard work on this bill.

All Democrats opposed the legislation as it moved through the Statehouse. And that is a rather strange thing for a political party which preaches the mantra of “choice” and “women’s rights”.  Why would they not support legislation which lets a woman know there is a choice available if she changes her mind once the chemical abortion procedure begins?

If you’d like to know more about the APR protocol, follow this link.

And here is a link to the story on LifeNews.com.

And thank you, Governor Otter for signing this legislation.