Big_Don
10th May 2005, 10:00
The House passed a bill that would make it illegal to dodge parental-consent laws by taking minors across state lines for abortions, the latest effort to chip away at abortion rights after Republican gains in the November elections.
Despite clear language in recent US Supreme Court decisions that provisions must be made in the law for the ability of a minor to ask a judge to allow an abortion without notification of parents, the new law has no such provision.
This is a similar situation to the so-called partial birth abortion bill, where no provision was made to allow the procedure when the life or health of the mother was at stake. The very first Federal Judge that reviewed that law noted it went directly contrary to constitutional guidelines in US Supreme Court cases involving abortion, and overturned the law.
Once again, Congress has passed a 'feel good' law that will be overturned by the courts as unconstitutional. It would have been easy to pass a version that was constitutional, but that would have provoked a backlash by pro-liberty groups. Right-wing Congressmen only want to keep the issue alive to raise money from their intolerent chumps.
Once again, anti-liberty groups that want to outlaw or restrict abortion have been played for saps, with Congress using the US Supreme Court for cover.
Despite clear language in recent US Supreme Court decisions that provisions must be made in the law for the ability of a minor to ask a judge to allow an abortion without notification of parents, the new law has no such provision.
This is a similar situation to the so-called partial birth abortion bill, where no provision was made to allow the procedure when the life or health of the mother was at stake. The very first Federal Judge that reviewed that law noted it went directly contrary to constitutional guidelines in US Supreme Court cases involving abortion, and overturned the law.
Once again, Congress has passed a 'feel good' law that will be overturned by the courts as unconstitutional. It would have been easy to pass a version that was constitutional, but that would have provoked a backlash by pro-liberty groups. Right-wing Congressmen only want to keep the issue alive to raise money from their intolerent chumps.
Once again, anti-liberty groups that want to outlaw or restrict abortion have been played for saps, with Congress using the US Supreme Court for cover.