California Bill OKing Non-Doctors to Do Abortions Up Monday

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 13, 2012   |   6:28PM   |   Washington, DC

California lawmakers will give consideration to legislation on Monday that would allow non-doctors to do abortions. Although California sees more abortions than any other state, paid for at taxpayer expense, abortion backers who once said claimed abortion should be between a woman and her doctor wan to push the envelope further.

Ron Prentice of the California Family Council provided more information to LifeNews about the upcoming vote.

“Senate Bill 1338 will be heard by the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee this coming Monday,” he said. “A “no” vote from these committee members will keep this abortion expansion bill from going any further.”

“SB 1338 would allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and midwives to perform aspiration (suction) abortions in California. Never before, until now, has any state purposed to decrease the standard of care for women in order to expand the practice of abortion,” Prentice said. “In a day when a majority of Americans seek to limit the number of abortions, the leadership of the California Legislature seeks to expand access to abortion by decreasing the extent and quality of training required to perform an abortion.”

SB 1338 is authored by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), and both Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Speaker of the Assembly John Perez have co-author status.

Prentice says SB 1338 would change the definition of abortion to void the terms of “surgical” and “nonsurgical” abortion and he said the change is due to aspiration abortion being considered surgery; midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are not licensed or trained to perform surgical procedures.

“In the case of complications, the absence of a physician can be harmful and possibly deadly for the woman,” Prentice said. “Physicians and surgeons are unwilling to perform abortions for good reasons. Many of them find that abortion is antithetical to the practice of medicine.”

“The bill claims to serve women by providing services in close proximity. However, less serious medical procedures require the commitment of time and travel,” he continued. “The language of “choice” disguises the seriousness of the abortion decision. Abortion is a legal “choice,” but a choice that takes the life of an innocent preborn baby.”

Committee Member contact information:

Senator Curren Price
Los Angeles              Phone: (213) 745-6656                   Fax: (213) 745-6722
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4026                   Fax: (916) 445-8899

Senator Bill Emerson
Riverside                  Phone: (951) 680-6750                   Fax: (951) 680-6757
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4037                   Fax: (916) 327-2187

Senator Tony Strickland
Simi Valley               Phone: (805) 306-8886                   Fax: (805) 306-8899
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4019                   Fax: (916) 324-7544

Senator Mark Wyland
San Juan Capistrano  Phone: (949) 489-9838                   Fax: (949) 489-8354
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4038                   Fax: (916) 446-7382

Senator Ellen Corbett
San Leandro             Phone: (510) 577-2310                   Fax: (510) 577-2308
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4010                   Fax: (916) 327-2433

Senator Lou Correa
Santa Ana                Phone: (714) 558-4400                   Fax: (714) 558-4111
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4034                   Fax: (916) 323-2323

Senator Ed Hernandez
West Covina             Phone: (626) 430-2499                   Fax: (626) 430-2494
Sacramento              Phone: (916) 651-4024                   Fax: (916) 445-0485

Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod
Montclair                 Phone: (909) 621-2783                    Fax: (909) 621-7483
Sacramento             Phone: (916) 651-4032                    Fax: (916) 445-0128

Senator Juan Vargas
Chula Vista              Phone: (619) 409-7690                   Fax: (619) 409-7688
Sacramento             Phone: (916) 651-4040                   Fax: (916) 327-3522