Nevada lawmakers passed a radical pro-abortion bill Tuesday that would put women in danger by decriminalizing back alley and self-induced abortions in the state.
State Senate Bill 179 passed the state Assembly in a 27-13 vote, with all Republicans and one Democrat voting against the measure. It passed the state Senate earlier this spring, and now moves to pro-abortion Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s desk.
Pro-life advocates warn that the bill will protect “everyone but women” by removing penalties for back alley abortionists and people who sell dangerous abortion drugs.
“SB179 will make Nevada a Wild West abortion state where almost everything goes by removing key protections and requirements,” Nevada Right to Life Executive Director Melissa Clement said. “If Nevada Democrats truly wanted to decriminalize women seeking an abortion they could have done so while keeping the important safeguards to women’s health that exist currently.”
NPR reports the bill decriminalizes providing abortion drugs to women without a doctor’s advice, and strikes down a requirement that abortionists determine the woman’s age and marital status. It also repeals informed consent requirements that ensure women receive accurate information about the abortion, its risks and the alternatives available to them.
Republican Assemblywoman Jill Tolles said the age requirement is important because of screening for sexual abuse, the Reno Gazette Journal reports.
“Without the provision requiring a physician to ask the age of a patient, we may be missing clear red flags of abuse and trafficking,” she said prior to the vote.
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
However, Democratic Assemblywoman Shea Backus argued that the bill would allow women to make their own decisions without government interference, the report continues.
“All across the country women’s rights are being threatened by extremist politicians,” Backus said. “These are draconian laws that have no business in a free society. Women, no matter where they live, deserve to feel safe.”
But the bill is the exact opposite of safe.
By removing penalties for back alley abortions and do-it-yourself abortions, the legislation would put women’s health in jeopardy. It would allow back alley abortionists to practice unhindered and abusers to slip “abortion pills to an unwary mother to induce a first trimester abortion of a baby,” according to Nevada RTL.
The bill also would remove a screening requirement that helps to ensure women are there “freely and without coercion.”
“SB179 gives a green light to dangerous back-alley abortions performed by individuals who got their training on YouTube and Do It Yourself home abortion kits bought on the corner or on eBay,” Clement said. “SB179 protects predators, the abortionist’s bottom line and aids those who victimize women and girls.”
The pro-life organization urged residents to contact the governor’s office and ask him to veto the bill.
Action: Contact Gov. Steve Sisolak at (775) 684-5670 in Carson City or (702) 486-2500 in Las Vegas. Send him an email at http://gov.nv.gov/Contact/Email_the_Governor_Form/