Abortion debate suppresses pregnant inmate bill in Iowa Senate

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Des Moines Register

Abortion debate suppresses pregnant inmate bill in Iowa Senate
The proposal to limit the shackling of expectant mothers is 'basically dead.'
Mar. 22, 2013 11:48 PM,

A legislative proposal to limit the shackling of pregnant inmates is “basically dead” in the Iowa Senate, says Sen. Janet Petersen, the bill’s floor manager.

Petersen, a Des Moines Democrat, says she won’t proceed with Senate File 399 because of an amendment proposed by Sen. Kent Sorenson, a Milo Republican. Sorenson wants to prohibit the use of state money to “perform or facilitate” inmate abortions.

“I would like to make advances on maternal health care for women who are incarcerated,” Petersen said. “But his amendment causes problems getting this legislation passed.”

She acknowledged she doesn’t want to spark a contentious floor debate on the abortion issue. It also appeared Sorenson could have the votes to secure passage of his amendment. Democrats maintain a razor-thin 26-24 margin in the Senate.


Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130323/NEWS09/303230044/1002/NEWS01/Abortion-debate-suppresses-pregnant-inmate-bill-Iowa-Senate?nclick_check=1

[KG]

1. what a mean and nasty place the u.s. is becoming...

[uselessobot]

2. Not all of the US only certain parts of the US are already or are becoming that way

Unfit places for decent and sane people to live.

[atreides1]

9. And yet

Decent and sane people still live in those backward, theocratic, misogynist states...with no hope of changing the make up of those legislatures!

And because of the rigging that those same legislatures did with the last census...those very same backward, misogynists maintain a hold on the US Congress and that will only make things worse for all of us!!!

[uselessobot]

12. Well the decent and sane in those states are going to have to take matters

into their own hands now if they really desire change.

[duhneece]

3. This breaks my heart

Poor Rep Petersen, who cares for women inmates, but can't push for them not to be shackled when giving birth.

[Faygo Kid]

4. We thought transvaginal ultrasounds meant control. . .

. . . this takes the underlying motivation for taking away women's choices - to control them - to an even higher level. Shackling pregnant women. The ultimate GOP fantasy. Or is it a fantasy? Apparently not.

[bossy22]

7. When you are in prison you are under the control of the state

your right to choose is severely limited and some choices will be made without your input. For example, in prison, you have no right o refuse treatment for a condition- but in the outside world you most certainly do.

There are plenty of reasons to argue against limiting inmate abortions but using a "woman's right to choose" is not a good argument.

[Faygo Kid]

8. Did you read my post?

I doubt it.

[marshall]

5. I was contacted by the attorney for a pregnant inmate

Several years ago when I was looking to adopt a child, an attorney halfway across the country emailed me. He said if I could cover his client's legal fees she would hand the child over to me. He said he could guarantee she was drug free for seven months of the pregnancy because she was in jail since the first trimester.

I didn't adopt the child, but often wonder what has hapened to mother and child.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Those fucking cornfield Christian conservatives are the worst.

And there's a lot of them out there. You can drive around the Plains states and farmers have dead fetus billboards in their fields. And they keep trying to pass ever more restrictive abortion laws.

[The Flaming Red Head]

10. Women are miscarrying in jails all the time

due to lack of health care. Why don't they give a fuck about the reality of being pregnant in the jails now and girls begging for help and getting none. What I know is anecdotal, but oh Gawd the horror stories. Man just fuck, fuck, fuck. the fucking right wing christian fuckers

[davidpdx]

11. This is terrible

Iowa conservatives are nasty.

[2ndAmForComputers]

13. "Iowa conservatives are nasty"

That's like saying "In Croatia, water is wet."