WASHINGTON, D.C. (04-18-13) –Americans United for Life President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest praised the Florida House for passing three pro-life bills over the past two days. These bills would prohibit sex-selection abortions, protect the rights of parents whose unborn children are killed through instances of criminal violence, and require medical care for infants born alive during botched abortions. Dr. Yoest testified in Florida on behalf of the Infants Born Alive Protection Act, which passed the House unanimously earlier this week.
“I commend the Florida House for passing three important pro-life pieces of legislation this session,” said Dr. Yoest. “Representatives Pigman, Ahern, and Van Zant, as well as Speaker Will Weatherford should be commended for their tireless work and effort on these bills and for the pro-life movement.”
Offenses Against Unborn Children would make it a separate criminal offense to cause bodily harm or the death of an unborn child through criminal violence. It would give women and their unborn children, at all stages of development, the same legal protections.
If this bill were to become law, Florida would join 28 other states that treat the killing of an unborn child as a form of homicide from conception.
“These bills represent a spirit of bi-partisanship showing that human rights issues transcend party lines,” said Dr. Yoest. “These common sense pieces of legislation should be common ground for all individuals whether pro-life or pro-abortion, and the Florida House has shown this today. The Florida Senate should make these three bills a legislative priority this session and send them to the Governor for his signature.”
During the debate in Florida over the Infants Born Alive Protection Act, a Planned Parenthood lobbyist notoriously argued that infanticide was an option when a child survived an abortion, and was a living, breathing, and born human being in an abortion clinic. While Planned Parenthood tried to distance itself from the statements later, the exchange revealed just how fragile the legal protections for newly born children truly are. In response AUL launched the national “Let Them Live” campaign. For more information, click here.
