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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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TALKING POINTS MEMO
Michigan Republicans Introduce Bill Mandating Transvaginal Ultrasound Before An Abortion
Sahil Kapur-February 6, 2013, 4:18 PM18271
Michigan Republicans have introduced a bill requiring all women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound before obtaining an abortion, a move that rekindles last year’s firestorm when other GOP-led states were considering similar measures.
The legislation introduced Tuesday in the state House ensures the “performance of a diagnostic ultrasound examination of the fetus at least two hours before an abortion is performed” and requires her to sign a consent form prior to the abortion. The bill was introduced by state Rep. Joel Johnson (R) and cosponsored by 22 fellow lawmakers.
Johnson was not available for comment Wednesday, but his legislative aide, Ben Frederick, confirmed to TPM that, while the legislation does not specifically mention transvaginal ultrasounds, the bill aims to require women to undergo an ultrasound prior to receiving an abortion.
Katie Carey, a spokeswoman for Michigan’s House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel, categorically said the bill would mandate transvaginal ultrasounds for women before an abortion.
“This is an unnecessary and unwarranted intrusion into the health decisions of women,” Greimel told TPM in a statement. “This is yet another example of the Republican obsession with overregulating people’s private lives.”
The bill requires the use of ultrasound equipment “providing the most visibly clear image of the gross anatomical development of the fetus and the most audible fetal heartbeat.” As a practical matter, that requires transvaginal ultrasounds, said Donna Crane, the policy director of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
“It does lay bare that the real motive is to make abortion providers continue to acquire more and more and more equipment before they’re even eligible to perform an abortion,” Crane told TPM. “They’re trying to make it harder for doctors to do their jobs.”
While the ultrasound is currently optional in Michigan, the proposed legislation would make it mandatory. After the ultrasound is conducted, women would have the option to obtain more information if they want it, Frederick said. Women would also have the option of declining to see the ultrasound images.
“This actually modernizes some of the provisions that we’ve had in statutes for years now,” Frederick said. “We’ve had an ultrasound viewing option since 2006, signed into law by Gov. [Jennifer] Granholm with support from both parties. The ultrasounds already happen as a matter of routine and diagnostic necessity. And this would simply add additional options for the patients — they could view or decline to view the images.”
If the bill passes the Republican-controlled legislature and is signed by Gov. Rick Snyder (R), it would provide the woman “the option to view the active ultrasound image of the fetus, hear the fetal heartbeat, receive a physical picture of the ultrasound image of the fetus, and hear an explanation of the ultrasound image of the fetus” by her physician.
Frederick said his boss has reached out to Snyder and is “optimistic” that the bill will move forward with support from members of both parties. Snyder’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The purpose, according to the text of the legislation, is to provide “consumer protection” to women and “ensure fully informed consent to the abortion.”
“The performance of a diagnostic ultrasound examination of the fetus further protects the interests of the woman seeking an abortion,” reads the bill, “by assessing the viability of the fetus and confirming the approximate gestational age of the fetus, as this information is necessary in order to determine appropriate medical care for the woman seeking an abortion.”
Similar measures were introduced last year in Virginia and Alabama, but Republicans backed off after ferocious pushback from women’s advocates and reproductive rights groups, which described it as overly invasive and likened it to rape.
Crane said NARAL and its allies are prepared to fight to sink the legislation.
“Women should be up in arms over these types of laws,” she said. “Unfortunately they’re not new. But the fact that politicians just went through an election cycle and got spanked over how they treat women and reproductive freedoms and still introduce bills like this really boggles the mind. It’s not clear that the sponsors haven’t been living under rocks since November.”
Sahil Kapur
Sahil Kapur is a congressional reporter for TPM. He previously covered politics and public policy for numerous publications including The Guardian and The Huffington Post. He can be reached at sahil [at] talkingpointsmemo.com. |
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Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:01 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Michigan House won't mandate transvaginal ultrasounds for abortions - Speaker Jase Bolger
By Melissa Anders | manders@mlive.com
on February 07, 2013 at 3:34 PM, updated February 07, 2013 at 6:47 PM
LANSING, MI — House Speaker Jase Bolger said the Michigan House will not approve legislation that mandates transvaginal ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion.
Rep. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, introduced a bill this week that would require an ultrasound at least two hours before an abortion is performed using the “most technologically advanced ultrasound equipment available at that location.”
Many have interpreted the bill to mean that it would require the controversial and more invasive transvaginal ultrasound, but Johnson said that’s not his intent and that he’s “very open” to amending the bill to clarify that.
“This (abortion) procedure itself is very invasive and it’s something that not only does it affect women physically, it affects them mentally for years to come,” he said. “We want them to make an informed decision.”
Johnson said he agrees with Bolger.
"While I want to be sure women have access to the best technology available, I have absolutely no interest in forcing a woman to have a transvaginal ultrasound," Bolger, R-Marshall, said in a statement. "This House of Representatives will not pass a bill mandating transvaginal ultrasounds."
The legislation received national attention in blogs and news outlets and garnered criticism from Democrats and abortion rights groups.
"It shows a distinct lack of what kind of care happens for women in abortion care facilities as it is. To think we don’t offer wide-ranging information to women who want it is simply erroneous," said Lori Lamerand of Planned Parenthood of Mid and South Michigan.
Lamerand said the bill sponsors are arrogant to dictate how medical care should be administered.
Abortion clinics by law have to offer a woman an ultrasound, and diagnostic ultrasounds are standard practice at clinics.
The legislation would give women the option to view the active ultrasound image, hear the fetal heartbeat, receive an ultrasound photo and hear an explanation of the image.
The language requiring the “most technologically advanced equipment” is meant to ensure that clinics don’t use older machines that generate grainy images for the patient when they have newer equipment available that gives clearer results, said Ed Rivet, legislative director of Right to Life of Michigan.
Transvaginal ultrasound legislation discussed in Virginia last year caused widespread outcry as some opponents described the procedure as "rape." Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, signed an amended bill that only required an abdominal ultrasound.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder last year signed a bill putting more regulations on abortion providers. The legislation sparked protests last summer. The issue received national attention, including a performance of the Vagina Monologues on the Capitol steps, after two Democratic female lawmakers were banned from speaking on the House floor for remarks they made during debate on the bills.
Another bill introduced this week by Republican Sen. Mark Jansen would prohibit health plans from including coverage for elective abortions unless it is purchased through an optional rider.
Snyder vetoed a bill with similar language last year, saying that type of abortion policy is an “overreach of government into the private market.”
Right to Life of Michigan wants to further discuss the bill with Snyder.
“We obviously didn’t have the thorough conversation that the governor needed to find his way,” Rivet said.
“We don’t want abortions as a built-in benefit in health plans,” he said.
Robert McCann, spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer, said the bill sends a “bizarrely disgusting” message.
“It tells women you have to plan ahead in case you end up getting impregnated from getting raped,” he said.
The legislation doesn’t specify any exclusion for abortions for rape, incest or the health of the woman, unless her life is in danger.
Email Melissa Anders at manders@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter: @MelissaDAnders. Download the MLive app for iPhone and Android. |
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Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:50 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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onlythefacts
Just more Republican hypocrisy.
These are the people who say that want government out of your lives but then put the government smack dab where it has no business. The relationship a women has with her Doctor and the decisions she makes is none of your business Joel Johnson, don't you have anything better to? Your hypocrisy is overwhelming. Please don't come back with the child as being the victim, let god take care of that in the way god wants to when she meets him, I think god will say " I understand".
schwartzme
This right wing republican men just don't get it. They lost the last national election by over 3 million votes. Sure, they hold onto power in small pockets of backwoods thinking states like Michigan, or should I say Michibooboo! But, if they want something stuck into their daughter's vagina, like an ultrasound probe attached onto the arm of some disgusting guy who works for a clinic, then why not at least be fair and mandate a rigid sigmoidoscope for men who want to get a vasectomy. After all, their thinking is to protect life in all forms and I say that something that can soot into the air, land and then go swimming certainly should be saved just as much as an unborn, unwanted and unintended fetus.
onlythefacts likes this. |
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Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:54 am |
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