The Maine state House has defeated three pro-life bills that would have limited abortions and the votes follow one in the Senate defeating legislation to provide justice and protection for pregnant women and their unborn children when they are victims of violent crimes.
Legislators defeated LD 1457, a parental consent bill that upgrades the state’s parental consent provisions to eliminate existing loopholes in the law. this measure died on a 80-63 vote.
They defeated LD 924, a Women’s Right to Know/Informed Consent measure based on an Americans United for Life model bill that provides Maine women with important information about the risks of abortion. Lawmakers defeated the bill 88-57.
And they voted down LD116, which provides women with a 24 hours to consider informed consent materials prior to getting an abortion. The vote was 81-63 on this measure.
Last month, AUL Vice President of Government Affairs Daniel McConchie testified on behalf of all three bills.
“Women deserve the common sense protections these laws provide,” stated McConchie. “The committee hearing on this legislation was noteworthy in that virtually every supporter of these bills were post-abortive women who had wished these protections had been there when they made their ‘choice.’ Virtually every opponent of this legislation was an abortion provider or ally of the pro-abortion movement – the very ones who profit from abortion.”
Maine Right to Life also supported the bills, saying, “We must never stop nor rest until we do everything within our power to enact compassionate, caring, and common sense legislation for all Maine citizens.”
The measures still face a vote in the state Senate.
ACTION: Contact members of the Maine House at https://www.maine.gov/legis/house/ to voice your disappointment.
