Story UPDATED May 20

In wake of New York State’s recent radicalization of abortion laws, Focus on the Family, a pro-life organization, has announced that it will showcase a live ultrasound on the New York Times Square Jumbotrons. The event, entitled “Alive from New York”, will consist of a live 4D ultrasound of a third trimester baby that a doctor will perform. “Alive from New York” will also feature public speakers and live music, and will come to New York on May 4th, 2019.

MODGers should certainly celebrate this cry for the unborn in New York, but they should also be aware of other states’ abortion laws, some of which are even worse than New York.

Below is a list of the states that have recently proposed or passed radical abortion laws, and a brief description of each bill.

New York (Passed, signed): The so-called “Reproductive Health Act” enacts the following:

– Abortion up until birth for any reason

– The ability of non-abortionists, i.e., any professional health-care personnel such as hospital nurses, to legally perform abortions

-The removal of unborn children from the state’s penal code, i.e., unborn children, even if they are killed against the mother’s will (in a car accident, for instance) are no longer legally recognized as homicide victims, and the mother may not sue for their death

-The repealment of a previous law that required doctors to care for children who are accidentally born as the result of abortion

UPDATE May 8–Alive from New York: The owners of the Times Square jumbotrons, namely ABC Supersign, Silvercast, and Clear Channel Outdoor, denied Focus on the Family access to them. Nevertheless, the event went on, and Focus on the Family was able to showcase a 4-D ultrasound of Abby Johnson’s baby on a smaller but still very large screen. Between 10,000 and 20,000 people were present for the event, including some pro-choice counter protestors.

Illinois (Proposed, but not yet passed or signed): Also entitled the “Reproductive Health Act”, this bill would enact the following if signed into law:

-Abortion up until birth for any reason

-Abortions to be performed anywhere, even if it is not in a clinic

-The ability of non-abortionist medical personnel to perform abortions, be they medical abortions or surgical abortions

– The coercion of any doctor to perform an abortion, even if it violates his religious/moral conscience

-The requirement of all private health insurance providers to fund abortions, including religious institutions

-The removal of the requirement to investigate botched abortions

-The repealment of a previous law that prohibited payments for abortion referrals

-The repealment of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995, which required that parents of minors seeking abortions give their consent first

New Mexico (Passed by the state’s House, but not yet by the senate): House Bill 51 would enact the following if signed into law:

-Abortions up until birth if done for the health of the mother

-The removal of parental consent for minors seeking abortions

-Like Illinois, the coercion of any pro-life doctor or medical personnel who do not wish to participate in abortion

UPDATE March 22:  Radical pro-choice bill House Bill 51 has been knocked down by the state’s senate.

Vermont (Passed by the state’s House, but not yet by the senate): House Bill 57 states the following: “No State or local law enforcement shall prosecute any individual for inducing, performing, or attempting to induce or perform the individual’s own abortion”. This is rather vague, but the following may be deduced from it:

-Abortion will be allowed at any time in the pregnancy for any reason

-Any individual, including the woman herself, may perform the abortion

-Minors may receive or self-perform abortions without parental consent

Massachusetts (Not signed or passed, but likely to be): It is unclear exactly what the “Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Act” will enact, but will potentially allow abortion up until birth and release doctors from their responsibility to care for children accidentally born as the result of abortion.

North Carolina:

UPDATE March 30: Federal judge has knocked down a longstanding state law that banned abortion after 20 weeks. State legislature has 60 days to amend the law or appeal the ruling.

Maine:

UPDATE April 10: Governor has introduced bill that would allow physician assistants and some nurses, not just abortion doctors, to perform abortions.

Rhode Island:

UPDATE April 17: House Judiciary Committee has approved House Bill 5125A, which would allow abortion up until birth. Though this bill has not been voted through the House or the Senate, governor has vowed to sign it into law.

All of these bills are repulsive in their shameless dehumanization of the unborn. However, despite the explicit evil of the above states, other states have taken large steps forward in the pro-life movement.

Below is a list of states that have proposed pro-life laws or honored the unborn in their constitutions.

Alabama:

– Recently voted to amend the state constitution in favor of the rights of the unborn, recognizing the “sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children”.

UPDATE April 10: State House has introduced the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, which would ban all abortions except those done in cases of extreme danger to the mother.

UPDATE May 8: House Bill 314, which bans all abortions except in cases of serious health-risk to the mother, has been passed by the House.

UPDATE May 15: Gov. Kay Ivey has signed bill banning all abortions except those done to prevent serious health problems in the mother. The bill can only take effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Florida (Proposed, not yet passed or signed):

-Legislators recently introduced House Bill 235, which, if passed and signed, would ban abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected.

South Carolina (Proposed, not yet passed or signed):

– House recently introduced House Bill 3020, which, if passed and signed, would ban abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected.

UPDATE March 22: Senate has voted down bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

UPDATE April 10: House Judiciary Committee has voted to advance bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected. Whether this will reach the governor’s desk is questionable.

UPDATE May 8: House has officially passed bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

Arkansas (Passed, signed):

-Will ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned

UPDATE March 30: Senate has passed Senate Bill 2, which will ban abortions on babies with down syndrome. Governor is expected to sign.

Tennessee (Proposed, not yet passed or signed):

-Has maintained since 2014 that its constitution does not uphold a “right” to abortion. More recently, pro-life legislators proposed a bill that would ban abortion if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned

UPDATE March 22:  House has passed bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

Texas (Proposed, not yet passed or signed):

-Rep. Briscoe Cain recently introduced the Texas Heartbeat Bill, which, if passed and signed, would ban abortions after fetal heartbeat is detected.

West Virginia:

-Recently added amendment to state constitution which declares that “nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of abortion.”

Mississippi (Passed, not yet signed):

-State House and State Senate both voted to ban abortions after fetal heartbeat is detected. Governor is expected to sign.

UPDATE March 22:  Governor has signed Senate Bill 2116, which bans abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

Missouri (Passed by House, not yet signed):

-State House recently passed House Bill 126, which, if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, would ban abortions on babies with detectable heartbeats as well as babies with down syndrome.

UPDATE May 20: Senate has passed bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

Kentucky (Passed, not yet signed):

-State senate has passed bill banning abortions after heartbeat is detected, House has passed two bills that ban abortions on babies with down syndrome and will ban abortion altogether if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

UPDATE March 22:  Governor has signed bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected, but a federal judge has temporarily blocked the legislation from being implemented. Senate has passed House Bill 5, which will ban abortions that are motivated by discrimination against a baby’s race, sex, or disability.

UPDATE April 10: Federal appeals court has declared that a 2017 state law requiring doctors to show patients ultrasounds and fetal images is constitutional.

Ohio (Proposed, not yet signed):

-Has already banned abortions on babies with down syndrome. More recently, Senate introduced Senate Bill 23, which would ban abortion if fetal heartbeat is detected. Newly-elected governor Mark Dewine stated that he would sign such a bill.

UPDATE March 22:  Senate has passed Senate Bill 23, which will ban abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.

UPDATE March 30: Governor has signed bill banning dismemberment abortions, but federal judge has temporarily blocked the legislation from being implemented.

UPDATE April 17: Governor has signed Senate Bill 23, which bans abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected.

Georgia (Proposed, not yet signed):

-State House recently introduced House Bill 481 and House Bill 546, the former banning abortions on babies with heartbeats and the latter banning abortion altogether if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

UPDATE March 30: Senate has passed House Bill 481, which bans abortions after fetal heartbeat is detected, but includes several exceptions.

UPDATE May 8: Governor Brian Kemp has signed House Bill 481, which bans abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected.

Utah (Passed by legislature, not yet signed) :
-State legislature recently passed law banning abortions on babies with down syndrome; pro-life governor is likely to sign

These states are giving hope for a pro-life America. With a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, Americans can hope that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, and that the new pro-life laws of several states will be put into full action.

UPDATE March 22:  House has passed bills banning abortion on babies with down syndrome.

UPDATE March 30: Governor has signed House Bill 136, which bans abortions after 18 weeks and House Bill 166, which bans abortions on babies with down syndrome.

South Dakota:

-Governor has signed multiple pro-life bills, which collectively require doctors to show mothers ultrasounds of their babies before abortion, the chance to hear their babies’ heartbeats, and requirement for parental consent for minors seeking abortions.

Indiana:

UPDATE April 10: State Senate has passed two pro-life bills, one banning dismemberment abortions and the other allowing any medical personnel to refuse to participate in abortions, or prescribe abortifacient drugs.

Louisiana:

UPDATE May 20: State Legislature is now considering a bill banning abortion when fetal heartbeat is detected.