by Fred Jackson and Rusty Pugh
(AgapePress) – Federal judges have dealt another blow to efforts to stop partial-birth abortions.
Yesterday, federal judges overturned bans against the gruesome procedure in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. The New York Times reports the American Civil Liberties Union led the fight in Michigan and Illinois, while Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy challenged the Wisconsin law.
Barbara Lyons is executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life. She summed up the reaction of many in the pro-life movement, calling it a “tragic day in America when we can kill defenseless babies with this horrendous method and the courts can do nothing to stop it.”
Yesterday’s rulings follow a similar judgment from the Supreme Court last June. By a 5-4 vote, it struck down a partial-birth abortion ban in Nebraska, saying it violated a woman’s constitutional rights. That close vote is being cited by many Christians as another reason why President Bush needs to appoint some pro-life justices to the high court.
Other Decisions
On another abortion front, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack vetoed a bill yesterday which would have required a woman to wait 24 hours before electing to kill her baby.
Also, the abortion drug RU-486 will not be offered at a Michigan university. While attempts have been made to encourage Michigan State University’s Olin Health Center to offer the dangerous drug, officials say the clinic isn’t qualified to make it available.
Members of ASMSU, the university’s undergraduate student government, met with Olin director Dr. Glynda Moorer yesterday, encouraging her to consider offering RU-486 at the health center. But despite protests, Moorer said there is nothing to consider when it comes to offering the drug.
In order to provide the drug, clinics must be able to provide surgical intervention in the case of an incomplete abortion, offer 24-hour service to mothers who take the drug, and diagnose an ectopic pregnancy.
Devon Hill, president of the campus pro-abortion group Voices for Choices, said while she thinks the drug should be more accessible for college students, she understands and respects the choices officials have made.
Meanwhile, Joy Yearout, co-chairwoman of the pro-life campus group Students for Life, said she knows Olin is not qualified to offer the abortion drug and does not believe there should ever be an attempt to make it accessible.
(This update courtesy of Agape Press.)
