Wisconsin Born Alive Infants Protection Act Now State Law
by Maria Gallagher
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
December 19, 2003
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) — Babies in Wisconsin now have more protection, thanks to a bill signed into law this week by the state’s Governor.
The "Born Alive Infant Protection Act" ensures that babies born alive following an attempted abortion have the same legal rights of other children. Specifically, the law states that a child born after an abortion has the same legal status under Wisconsin law as an infant born after a natural or induced delivery or cesarean section.
Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin) and Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) wrote the legislation, which was supported by Wisconsin Right to Life.
"Representative Gundrum and Senator Lazich were dedicated in their resolve to protect babies who survive abortion," said Susan Armacost, the pro-life group’s legislative director.
"These compassionate legislators were appalled when they learned of the atrocities inflicted on many babies who are born alive after being aborted. I speak for the entire Wisconsin Right to Life organization when I say how appreciative we are to Representative Gundrum and Senator Lazich for their tremendous leadership on this important issue."
To many, the very idea of a baby being left to die following an attempted abortion might seem appalling, but it is all too real for a number of nurses, who have witnessed such troubling events.
For instance, Barbara Lyons, the executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, noted in a column, "One nurse described an aborted baby who was left to die on a counter in a hospital utility room. The baby was accidentally thrown in the garbage and later found by hospital personnel.
"Another nurse described a 23-week infant born alive after an abortion and placed in a specimen dish to be taken to the lab, even though the baby was gasping for air. The nurse named the child Baby Hope and held her for three hours until she died."
Lyons said there is evidence such tragedies have occurred in Wisconsin as well.
"In 1982, three infants survived abortions at hospitals in Madison," Lyons wrote.
"Anonymous calls from a courageous individual to Wisconsin Right to Life and the news media brought the tragedies to public attention, making these events major state and national news stories. The three infants received medical care, perhaps because their existence was publicly known, and subsequently died. Since that time, no one has stepped forward to report incidents in Wisconsin, but that does not mean they do not happen."
The Wisconsin law is modeled after federal legislation signed by President George W. Bush in 2002.
Armacost added that a number of other legislative leaders deserved praise for their work on the issue.
"We want to also express our deep appreciation to the leadership of both houses of the legislature," said Armacost. "They clearly recognized the human rights abuses that are inflicted on many abortion survivors and they moved to rectify the situation in a most timely manner."
Related web sites:
Wisconsin Right to Life – https://www.wrtl.org
