SUCCESS AT LAST
We achieved a Pro-Life milestone in Alaska today. I’m a co-sponsor of SB20 that passed the House. The bill was introduced last January 2005, and endured a long and hotly debated journey through both the Senate and the House. I’m pleased to report that the debate in the House, was conducted with politeness by all parties – without either side varying from core beliefs. I will always be a Pro-Life vote. I believe in the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception until natural death. I was the prime sponsor of HB58, the Pro-Life companion bill in the House.
One of the “behind the scene” issues in the debate is that SB 20 recognizes the “personhood” of an unborn child, and thereby some believe would endanger Roe v. Wade. My floor speech on SB20 follows:
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“Mr. Speaker:
I’m very happy to be a co-sponsor of this bill, and to have been a prime sponsor of the House companion bill. I will always think of this bill as the “Laci and Connor Peterson Bill,” in recognition of the horrific crime in which Laci and Connor Peterson were both killed in California. There were two persons, Laci and Connor, two murders, not one. Two bodies washed up on the shore, not one. Even California, liberal as it is, recognized that there were two individual murder victims, and Alaska should do the same.
There are some us here who champion the “pro-choice” cause. Well, to my way of thinking, there’s nothing wrong with “choice” itself, it just depends what the choice is. I make that point because, to a large degree, the good and sensible bill before us today is actually something of a “pro-choice” bill, and here’s why. A murderous assailant who attacks a pregnant woman, and kills the mother and kills the baby, has taken away whatever choice a pregnant woman may have had.
This is a commonsense bill that recognizes the fact that, when a pregnant woman is assaulted, there are – in fact – two victims, and the law needs to recognize that reality. This very important bill that has been four years in the making, and I think it’s another of those bills that deserves support from all sides of Pro-Life / pro-choice controversy. I strongly urge the support of everyone here. “
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NOTE: SB20 passed the House on a surprisingly strong 30 to 9 vote. 30 YES, 9 NO, 1 EXCUSED. I’m pleased that we had some unexpected “YES” votes.
One of the “behind the scene” issues in the debate is that SB 20 recognizes the “personhood” of an unborn child, and thereby some believe would endanger Roe v. Wade. My floor speech on SB20 follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Mr. Speaker:
I’m very happy to be a co-sponsor of this bill, and to have been a prime sponsor of the House companion bill. I will always think of this bill as the “Laci and Connor Peterson Bill,” in recognition of the horrific crime in which Laci and Connor Peterson were both killed in California. There were two persons, Laci and Connor, two murders, not one. Two bodies washed up on the shore, not one. Even California, liberal as it is, recognized that there were two individual murder victims, and Alaska should do the same.
There are some us here who champion the “pro-choice” cause. Well, to my way of thinking, there’s nothing wrong with “choice” itself, it just depends what the choice is. I make that point because, to a large degree, the good and sensible bill before us today is actually something of a “pro-choice” bill, and here’s why. A murderous assailant who attacks a pregnant woman, and kills the mother and kills the baby, has taken away whatever choice a pregnant woman may have had.
This is a commonsense bill that recognizes the fact that, when a pregnant woman is assaulted, there are – in fact – two victims, and the law needs to recognize that reality. This very important bill that has been four years in the making, and I think it’s another of those bills that deserves support from all sides of Pro-Life / pro-choice controversy. I strongly urge the support of everyone here. “
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: SB20 passed the House on a surprisingly strong 30 to 9 vote. 30 YES, 9 NO, 1 EXCUSED. I’m pleased that we had some unexpected “YES” votes.
posted by Blogs by Rep Bob Lynn | 8:38 PM
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