Abortion

Mississippi “Chamber Of Death” Passes TRAP Law, Rejects Heartbeat Ban and RU-486 Restrictions

Only one of three abortion bills made it past a committee pocket veto, but that doesn't mean they won't become law.

Mississippi legislature. [img src]

The Mississippi legislature’s Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee kept his promise and chose not to allow any abortion bills that he believed would be found unconstitutional through the committee.  Based on that designation only one out of three proposed abortions restrictions made the cut.

Via NECN.com:

One abortion-regulation bill survived and two died at Tuesday’s deadline in the Mississippi Legislature.

Supporters of the surviving measure say it could slow down or even shut Mississippi’s only remaining abortion clinic, which is in Jackson. The Senate Public Health Committee passed House Bill 1390, which would require any doctor performing abortions to be a board-certified OB-GYN with admitting privileges at a local hospital.

The bill advances to the full Senate. It is supported by Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, both of whom are Republicans.

The TRAP law is feared by many supporters to be likely to close the state’s only clinic, where only one of the three doctors has admitting privileges.  The other two have been unable to get privileges as they have been repeatedly turned down by local hospitals.

Bills that didn’t make it past Chairman Hob Bryan?  A ban on all abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, and a ban on the use of RU-486 if a doctor isn’t present to administer it.

Anti-choice activists, upset that the bills did not make it to the senate floor, are suggesting the senate will be a “chamber of death” if the bills do not get heard.  Supporters of the bills have said they may attempt to attach them to other bills to bring them to a vote.