Arizona Senate Approves Bill Banning Non-Doctors From Doing Abortions

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 19, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Arizona Senate Approves Bill Banning Non-Doctors From Doing Abortions

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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 19
, 2008

Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) — On Wednesday, the Arizona Senate approved a bill on a voice vote that would prohibit non-doctors from doing abortions. The measure is targeted at nurses and other non-physicians after a Planned Parenthood nurse admitted she had been doing abortions for years.

The state currently has no law either direction on whether anyone other than a licensed physician can do an abortion in the state. Most states across the country require doctors for abortions.

Bob Stump, a Republican legislator from Peoria, is the sponsor of House Bill 2269 and the measure must get one more vote in the Senate before it can go to Governor Janet Napolitano, who is pro-abortion and has repeatedly vetoed bills with any limits on abortions.

Stump says abortions should be limited to doctors because physicians are needed to provide medical care for women in the numerous cases when an abortion goes awry and causes medical problems.

Planned Parenthood nurse Mary Andrews has done abortions at its Tucson facility since 2001 — which was kept under wraps until a recent complaint filed against her.

Last month, the Arizona Board of Nursing voted to put women’s health at risk by allowing nurse practitioners to do surgical abortions. The panel concluded that nurses with the right training can do aspiration abortions — suction abortions where the baby is killed and sucked out of the mother’s uterus.

The state board disagreed with an attorney for the pro-life Center for Arizona Policy who argued the decision puts the board opposite state law.

The board also set forth a policy preventing nurses from doing abortions past the 13th week of pregnancy.

Related web sites:
Arizona Legislature – https://www.azleg.gov
Arizona Governor – https://www.governor.state.az.us

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