12 months ago
ShareTuesday at the Capitol, a house committee put its stamp of approval on a bill that bans partial birth abortion. There is already a federal law, but Representative Dawn Creekmore wanted it to also be on the state books.
This issue struck up emotional debate in committee. One legislator even speaking out of turn, said he would never vote to allow "murder."
Representative Dawn Creekmore from Hensley proposed the bill that would ban partial birth abortion. That's any abortion done after the first trimester. The issue drew a big crowd to the house committee on public health where people from both sides spoke out.
Rose Mimms with Arkansas Right to Life described a doctoring performing a partial birth abortion.
Mimms says, "Because he had to get the head out and it was lodged in the birth canal, he took a pair of scissors poked a hole in the back of the skull, took a suction tube and sucked the brains out of the skull, so the head collapsed."
Bonnie Robertson with Planned Parenthood spoke against the bill and was upset an amendment was passed out in the room that she didn't have time to read over before testifying.
Robertson told committee members, "You get it in your hands and you want to vote on it right away because of its freakin' title."
A ban on partial birth abortion is already a federal law. This new bill would codify that into state law. Creekmore told committee members her bill exactly mirrors the federal law. And it, like the federal law, allows an exemption when the mother's life is at risk.
Creekmore told members, "I will ask for a very good vote on this bill. You are saving a life. Thank you."
The bill now advances to the full house. It could be voted on as soon as this week.
