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Kimberly Houk ReportingThe state's new abortion law may now be amended to allow women to abort a badly formed fetus. The legislator responsible for drafting the new law now agrees it needs to be changed.
Sen. Curt Bramble, (R) Provo: “I and most Utahns believe that elective abortions are reprehensible, and we don't want our tax dollars paying for those. But there are certain circumstances and certain exceptions that we need to have in the law. "
Senator Curt Bramble says he came to this realization after hearing about a woman from Roy whose doctor refused to abort her badly formed fetus, because of a new abortion law.
The law makes it a crime for doctors, clinics, or hospitals that receive state funding to perform abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is in danger, but not in the case of fetal abnormalities. It’s a law Bramble fought for but now says he's willing to reconsider.
Karrie Galloway, Planned Parenthood: “It's his responsibility to amend the bill. He started the bill. I'm glad that he's aware of how it's affecting real people's lives."
Bramble says deadly fetal deformities weren't originally included in the bill because lawmakers didn't think about it.
Bramble: “There are representatives of the medical community on capitol hill, and over a two year period the issue was not brought up."
Galloway: “Even in the senate there was an attempt to amend this bill to include fetal abnormalities and grave defects, and those were all rejected.”
Governor Olene Walker says she also took the issue to the medical community.
Gov. Walker: “I did ask before I signed the bill if they had serious concerns, and at the time I felt they were okay with it.”
But the governor says she's now willing to reconsider the bill in a special legislative session. The special session has not yet been scheduled.
