Breaking Bad News: Nebraska to limit abortions because of fetal pain

[cali]

By NATE JENKINS, Associated Press Writer Nate Jenkins, Associated Press Writer – 9 mins ago

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska lawmakers on Tuesday passed a groundbreaking bill banning abortions at 20 weeks based on assertions that fetuses feel pain then. Gov. Dave Heineman planned to sign it into law in the afternoon.

If upheld by the courts, the bill could change the foundation of abortion laws nationwide. Current restrictions in Nebraska and elsewhere are based on a fetus's ability to survive outside the womb, or viability.

Viability is determined on a case-by-case basis but is generally considered to occur at 22 to 24 weeks.

The Nebraska bill was partially meant to shut down one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country, Dr. LeRoy Carhart. He attracted attention after his friend and fellow late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was shot to death by an abortion foe in Kansas last year.

Kansas lawmakers have passed a bill meant to keep Carhart from performing abortions in that state, but Gov. Mark Parkinson, who supports abortion rights, hasn't acted on it yet.

A national abortion-rights group called the Nebraska bill "flatly unconstitutional."

"It absolutely cannot survive a challenge without a change to three decades of court rulings," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for reproductive Rights. "Courts have been chipping away at abortion rights...this would be like taking a huge hacksaw to the rights."

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100413/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_fetal_pain;_ylt=AmfGoTu4KlrVaPyrcq.7vBlvzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTJucXF1Y2NiBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNDEzL3VzX2Fib3J0aW9uX2ZldGFsX3BhaW4EY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA25lYnJhc2thdG9saQ--

[me b zola]

1. .

:grr:

[liberal N proud]

2. But once that fetus is born, they vow not to care for it

They say nothing bout the pain of the mother who can't afford to feed one more mouth.

[Webster Green]

4. Yep. Life begins at conception and ends at birth.

These people are mentally ill. :crazy:

[hamsterjill]

3. I will simply never understand

Why what happens to my body is anyone else's business.

[Brickbat]

5. And how do they decide what 20 weeks is?

Fetal measurements are general.

[Caliman73]

10. Agreed...

My wife's due date had been changed around at least 2 times in each pregnancy. It is a ridiculous attempt at incremental laws to deny women the right to decide about their bodies. I don't think it will pass muster legally, but I hate that these assholes continue to offer up theses stupid attacks on women.

[saracat]

6. And this isn't on the Front Page why?

This is how they are going to dismatle Roe. State by state. We had a similar measure vetoed by Napolitano in AZ but since we no longer have the protection of her veto pen, the anti abortion laws are sailing through. Gee, and to think some thought this would NEVER happen and others think it doesn't matter.

[ceile]

7. sigh

I just don't understand in this day and age how we continue to treat women as children who don't know what's best for themselves and their bodies.

[laughingliberal]

8. I'm so tired of living in a theocracy. Rec. nt

[Spheric]

9. Ditto. K&R n/t

:-(

[uppityperson]

11. k&r because people need to see this

[flvegan]

12. So nice to have a man making such a decision on women's bodies.

[tekisui]

13. An angry knr.

[Froward69]

14. No cornhusker ever thought of this but

just how did they learn when a nervous system begins to function?

From aborted fetuses. there is already laws on the books about "medical experimentation" on fetuses. They Broke the law to write a new one.