Illinois proposals dealing with abortion brought as much controversy for where they were debated Tuesday as what’s in the legislation. Rachel Otwell has the details.
You might not expect to hear an issue like abortion brought up in, of all places, the Illinois House Agriculture Committee. But Representative Joe Lyons, a Chicago Democrat, says he wanted to have his legislation heard by the traditionally conservative panel because those members were likely to send it to the House floor, which they did.
LYONS: “Some things like this, like certain gun bills and things like that, should be heard. Let’s put it to the test. That’s what democracy is all about.”
Lyons’ plan would force doctors to offer women seeking an abortion an ultrasound before the procedure. The theory being that would change minds about aborting a fetus. The same proposal took the same route last year, advancing out of the ag committee only to stall in the full House. As was the case last time, many packed the hearing room wearing shirts that read “Women are not livestock.”
Deborah Mell, a Democratic Representative from Chicago, expressed her concern with where the legislation was placed.
MELL: “We’re not talking about abortion for cows or pigs right, we’re talking about women?”
Also moving forward was a plan that would assign stricter regulations on facilities that perform 50 or more abortions per year. Both bills passed committee on a vote of 11 to 2.
Отличная запись, очень понравилось.