Rhode Island became the latest Democrat-dominated state to adopt radical legislation protecting abortion up until birth.
Democratic governor Gina Raimondo signed the Reproductive Privacy Act into law Wednesday. It will allow for abortion procedures to take place after fetal viability—when the baby is able to live outside the womb—as long as doctors say the mother’s health is at risk. The bill, which passed the Senate 21 to 17 and the House 45 to 29, also lifts abortion limits prior to fetal viability. Gov. Raimondo said in a statement that the legislation was designed to guarantee “the status quo under Roe v. Wade,” the 1971 case that eliminated state restrictions on abortion.
“Women and their families across Rhode Island will be free from the fear that the reproductive health care they need today will be illegal tomorrow,” Raimondo said.
Many of the provisions that the legislation overturned, however, enjoy bipartisan support. A pollcommissioned by the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List found that 73 percent of Rhode Island voters oppose late-term abortions. That number jumps to 77 percent when voters are informed that the bill legalizes abortion up until birth—including 69 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of independents, 80 percent of women, and 62 percent of those identifying as pro-choice. – READ MORE