Some of the legal experts who have battled the abortion ideology and its related industry across the United States for years are warning that in the wake of Dobbs, which returned regulation of the industry to individual states, some of those are now moving into territory that is causing alarms.
That would be the move toward infanticide.
Officials at the American Center for Law and Justice have posted a warning about the “troubling trend.”
“In the wake of Dobbs and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the abortion debate obviously didn’t end – it intensified and shifted to the state level. Now, radical-Left state legislatures are emboldened, believing they have a license to advance bills that, under the guise of ‘reproductive freedom,’ are quietly dismantling protections for babies – even after birth.”
SUPPORT LIFENEWS! If you want to help fight abortion, please donate to LifeNews.com!
The report, from Jordan Sekulow explained one example is a legislative proposal, H.B. 1131, in Maryland.
That, the report explains, is “one of the most dangerous developments yet.”
How is it dangerous?
“This bill would ‘effectively legalize infanticide,’” by limiting what medical professionals can report about infant deaths unless there is “clear evidence of external abuse.”
Medical professionals who report “suspected wrongdoing” would be penalized, resulting in “silence” if the provider “isn’t certain the evidence meets the bill’s vague standard.”
Further, the plan would require “evidence of criminal conduct” in order for an investigation into a “pregnancy loss” to begin.
That means that period during labor, where some deaths occur, even extending until after a child is born, “would be shielded from investigation.”
Then comes California, long a leader in the pro-abortion sweepstakes.
Its Assembly Bill 2223, already law, bans criminal or civil liability for actions related to “pregnancy outcomes.” And that includes “perinatal death,” which is a term that apply to life for weeks after birth.
Explained the ACLJ, “It has been clear from the beginning that the purpose of AB 2223 is to shield individuals, especially abortion providers, from civil or criminal liability when a baby is born alive after a botched abortion – and then left to die. In order to achieve this goal, the bill prohibits coroners’ reports related to the deaths of infants in the ‘perinatal’ period from being used to bring civil or criminal charges against anyone.”
By bill “effectively legalizes infanticide” by defining the protected period as the “perinatal” period, which is up to 28 days after birth.
In Washington, S.B. 5093 goes a different, but equally concerning, direction.
“The bill repeals laws criminalizing the concealment of a child’s birth and removes the requirement for coroners to investigate certain infant deaths tied to abortion,” the ACLJ noted. “This law plays a vital role in protecting both mothers and infants from abuse, violence, and exploitation. Its removal opens the door for infanticide to be carried out without fear of legal consequence. . . Further, instead of bolstering investigations into suspicious infant deaths, SB5093 removes the coroner’s jurisdiction to investigate the death of an infant after a botched abortion.”
That means deaths of infants born alive after failed abortions are barred from being investigated.
Minnesota moves yet another direction, by simply canceling requirements for care for infants born after failed abortions.
The state no longer, under Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, protects a child born alive after a failed abortion.
Minnesota lawmakers repealed the requirement that doctors take “reasonable measures” to preserve the life of a born-alive infant. In its place, the law now requires only that the infant be “‘cared for’ – a subtle but critical shift,” the ALCJ reported.
The ACLJ reported its senior litigation counsel, Olivia Summers, noted the problems in Minnesota.
The new law, she said, only calls for a newborn to be “cared for,” which does not necessarily include lifesaving measures.
That, the report said, “fundamentally alters how the law treats infants who survive abortion attempts. Under the new standard, that obligation for full protection is no longer explicit.
As a result, living infants could be denied lifesaving intervention.”
LifeNews Note: This column originally appeared at WorldNetDaily.
