OPINION - Gov. Mills' LATE TERM Abortion Bill is Unethical by Any Standard
Mills' messaging on LD1619 is misleading and dishonest - and not at all surprising.
Today, under Maine's current law, the life of an unborn baby that is considered viable (normally at 24-27 weeks gestation) is protected. The only exception is if the life of the mother is in danger, an abortion could be accessed.
LD 1619, Governor Mills' Act to expand Abortion Access, drops the "viability" standard, allowing access to abortion at any time during pregnancy up until the time of birth, when deemed "necessary" by a licensed physician.
Governor Mills and other advocates of this bill have attempted to side step the clear ethical and moral offenses of this bill by using 2 primary arguments. Both arguments by Governor Mills and LD1619 advocates are misleading and are not honest representations of the impact of this bill.
First, Mills and her advocates have stated these "necessary" cases of late term abortions are rare, making up only 1% of abortions nationally. A simple survey of state abortion laws reveals that late-term abortions are only available in a handful of states - just 6 to be exact. So it's not surprising that late term abortions make up the smallest segment of abortions nationally. However, a closer look at these states reveals where Maine could be headed if LD 1619 passes. According to the CDC, in 2019 New Mexico reported that 12% of that years abortions were considered "late term" (SOURCE). That's not exactly the rare 1% claimed by Mills and others.
They have also stated that the intent is to allow late-term abortions in the rare cases that the baby is no longer "viable." LD1619 goes far past those tragic situations. This bill creates access to abortion at any time, for any reason. There is no definition or qualifiers given to the term "necessary," effectively removing any and all restrictions. Under Gov. Mills' proposed law change, any unborn viable human life will no longer be protected and could be aborted for any reason.
If the intent of the bill were to allow for abortion access during rare and truly tragic cases when a baby is no longer viable in late term pregnancy, there are other, less extreme options available to the Governor. Instead, Governor Mills and LD1619 advocates seem to be using these tragic stories as political props with the aim to create one of the most extreme abortion laws in the nation. If it passes, Maine would become just the 6th state to allow unrestricted, late-term abortions.
The governor and advocates of this bill in the minority of Americans. According to Pew Research, 73% of American Adults are opposed to with late-term abortion access on demand (SOURCE). This is a bipartisan issue and the majority of Americans - pro-life, anti-abortion and pro-choice) do not want this kind of legislation.
Personally, I refuse to believe that the majority of Mainers want a law in place that allows for the ending of a viable unborn human life for any reason. It's unconscionable and absurd to consider that we would want such a grotesque act to be legalized.
It shouldn't have to be said, but here we are. Ending the life of an unborn human is unethical by any standard. Ending the life of an unborn human that is viable is especially grotesque. It is yet another new low for the Mills administration as she guides our state further away from any sense of morality or justice.
On Monday, 5/1/2023, LD1619 will go before the Committee for the Judiciary for a public hearing. This is the best chance that opponents of the bill have to be heard.
My hope and prayer is that each Maine legislator - Democrat, Republican or Independent - wrestles with the clear and extreme ethical problems of LD1619 and refuses to allow this immoral and unpopular bill to become the law of Maine.
If you would like more information about how to testify and oppose Governor Mills' push for late term abortion, visit SpeakUpforLIFE.com.
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Live not by lies. Seek the Truth.
The name of your publication is "Keep Maine Free" and you advocate consistently against vaccination mandates. Clearly, this legislation (LD1619) is aimed at protecting the freedom of women to make decisions for their health, their bodies, and their lives. How can you be opposed to legislation like this? I assure you that no woman has a late term abortion except as a necessity. I live in a state where abortion is illegal and there is no protection for the mother, even if having the baby puts her life at risk. Surely respecting the decisions of women and allowing them to access medical care that maintains their liberty, freedom, and autonomy goes along with your philosophy? I don't understand this.
How is this bill not aimed at protecting a woman's right to choose what happens with her body? Also, you are not answering my original point which is that the title of your blog, "Keep Maine Free" implies a focus on liberty for all people.