Wisconsin Abortion Advocates Attack Pro-Life Conscience Clause Bill
by Maria Gallagher
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
February 3, 2004
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) — The pro-abortion lobby is spreading misinformation in the hope of defeating legislation which would prevent Wisconsin health care workers and hospitals from being forced to take part in anti-life activities.
The legislation, known as the Conscience Clause Bill (AB 67), protects Wisconsin’s health care professionals and facilities from being required to participate in a range of unethical practices–everything from abortion and assisted suicide to euthanasia and questionable research involving the killing of human embryos or the use of tissue from aborted children.
Following a recent vote in the state Senate Health Committee to approve the bill, "the pro-abortion lobby once again issued a barrage of ridiculous claims regarding what the legislation would and would not do," according to Susan Armacost, Legislative Director of Wisconsin Right to Life.
Armacost points out that the bill, which was authored by Rep. Jean Hundertmark (R-Clintonville), does not place an outright ban on abortion, euthanasia, and the like.
"It merely protects the right of those health care professionals and facilities, who believe their mission is to treat and heal patients, to not be forced to participate in acts involving the deliberate destruction of human life," Armacost said.
The Assembly overwhelmingly approved the bill, which is now ready to be scheduled for a vote in the state Senate.
While they may call themselves "pro-choice," abortion advocates have attempted to force health care workers to participate in anti-life activities, not only in Wisconsin but throughout the nation, pro-life leaders say.
Abortion activists have routinely gone to court in an effort to mandate abortions at hospitals that do not want them. In Alaska, the state Supreme Court ruled that some community
hospitals must perform abortions against their will.
And in Connecticut, a certificate of need was denied to an outpatient clinic that refused to perform abortions.
The Wisconsin legislation is an attempt to prevent such forced violations of conscience from occurring in the Midwestern state.
"There are many health care professionals who recognize that each of the activities outlined in the bill entails the intentional destruction of human life and participating in them would violate their most deeply-held moral beliefs," Armacost said.
"But the radical pro-abortion lobby would like to force the entire health care community to participate in abortion and other related activities, even if some health care professionals and facilities have grave moral objections," Armacost added.
Armacost notes that the abortion lobby has attempted to force medical programs nationwide to instruct students in how to perform abortions or face the prospect of losing accreditation.
The Wisconsin legislation would attempt to thwart such tactics on a state level.
"The real agenda of the pro-abortion lobby is to force the entire health care community to become complicit in acts that intentionally destroy human life," Armacost said.
"Their absurd arguments, such as AB 67 ‘threatens women’s health’ and is an ‘inhumane assault on pregnant women’s health and lives,’ are meant to inflame and mislead rather than provide accurate information about what AB 67 does or does not do," Armacost added.
Armacost characterizes the Wisconsin bill as "reasonable, common sense legislation that deserves to be signed into law."
According to Armacost, the bill is considered to be "the most comprehensive and forward-looking proposal of its kind in the nation."
