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Some Utah state lawmakers today plan to introduce a number of abortion bills. The bills would chip away at abortion and even outright ban abortion.
Some lawmakers feel now is the time to pass anti-abortion laws because, as Rep. Stephen Sandstrom says, they already are planning on court challenges that could go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"It's not a guaranteed deal, obviously," he said. "But if the court changes hands and we have a couple of people retire, then the door would be shut forever on a court challenge."
He and other lawmakers will introduce several abortion bills today. One is an outright ban except for rape, incest or the health of the mother. It includes a provision for irreversible harm.
"If you're carrying this child and it will cause you to pinch off some circulation and you are going to lose a leg or damage a kidney, something that's irreparable damage," he said.
But other bills deal with fetal pain and defining a fetus as a person at the point of conception.
"If it's designated as a person, then at the point of conception it would mean that it's obviously against the law to kill a person," Sandstrom said.
Rep. Kenneth Sumsion said, "If a government will not protect life, I'm not sure what that government is worth."
Sandstrom says similar bills failed in 2007 because of concerns over the cost to Utah taxpayers of any court challenges. He says that's taken care of this time.
"There are significant donors that are willing to line up and put money into a private defense fund to pay for the defense of this bill all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court," he said.
Pro-choice activists stood in silent protest during the lawmakers' announcement. One Democratic lawmaker says the proposed measures are the wrong way to address abortion. Rep. Christine Johnson said, "Our goal needs to be to stop the pregnancy so that all the children in Utah are wanted children, so that all the pregnancies are in wanted families."
The legislative session begins in January.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
