How Delaware Codified Roe v Wade Protections–And Who Voted Against It
In 2017, Sen. Bryan Townsend introduced SB 5, which was designed to ensure that Delawareans would continue to be protected under Roe v Wade, should the Supreme Court do what it’s about to do. It was quite the prescient piece of legislation in hindsight.
Both the House and Senate subsequently passed SS1/SB5, also sponsored by Townsend, which was pretty much the same bill.
The bill withstood several amendments from the usual RWNJ’s, including this one from Rep. Hensley:
This bill requires information about the probable effects of the abortion procedure, including the effect on child-bearing ability, information relating to the fetal development, alternatives to the abortion procedure, and alternatives to abortion, and any risks associated with the procedure. This amendment also requires written informed consent.
Ah, yes, the ‘barrage of propaganda’ amendment. It didn’t pass, but Choice voters in RD 9 should know that Hensley is an enemy to women’s health.
In addition to all the downstate RWNJ’s, so is Mike Ramone. Both Hensley and Ramone voted against the protections afforded in Roe v Wade. Rep. Mike Smith did not vote for the bill, wasn’t in office yet. That yes vote came from Melanie George Smith. Not to beat on a couple of more-or-less dead horses, but both D Reps. Gerald Brady and Earl Jaques voted no as well. Whatever happened to them?
In the Senate, both Senators Bob Marshall and Greg Lavelle went ‘not voting’. Remember, as always, that ‘not voting’ has the same effect of voting no. DelCollo and Lopez were both no’s. As was his wont, Bonini didn’t show up for the vote.
Just thought you should know.
Pennsylvania has a very real chance of passing a strict abortion law, if not nearly banning it, with their Republican majorities. I fear this may lead to an unsustainable overflow of patients to Northern Delaware, further harming the opportunities Delawareans have to obtain these procedures.
Supply and demand, Andrew.
We’ll be OK.
I hope.
That’s actually Melanie George Smith – Mike Smith wasn’t in office yet to vote on the bill.
That’s a great catch–and you’re right. Joe Miro was still the Rep.
Gonna change the article to reflect that. Thanks!!
One Note: Delaware women’s right to privacy is only protected here until the GOP enacts a national ban. Which is exactly what they plan to do next. The next battle for abortion absolutist is to argue that fetuses are persons under the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court would thus rule abortion illegal and unconstitutional everywhere.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/05/opinion/us-abortion-bans.html
It’s a little more possible than I first realized, because OF COURSE they would try to end the filibuster for a vote like this if they controlled the Senate. Still, Murkowski and Collins are pretty firm in their anti-pro-life stance (I won’t call them pro-choice, just that they are absolutely moderate on it) and I’d be surprised to see them go along. But if the Senate had, say, 52 or 53 Republicans after the 2024 Election, and a Republican President of course… then yeah, this is a real possibility.
So I guess then that the 2030 census would include frozen embryos and possibly ova and sperm?
George Carlin raised that issue in his right-on-point take-down of ‘pro-lifers’. You can watch it in today’s Open Thread.