Two committees in the Arizona legislature considered bills on Wednesday to further limit abortions after the passage of a package of bills last legislative session.
The state House health committee considered one bill that would have abortions sought for sex-selection reasons. Although the practice is frequently seen in Asian nations like China, India and Vietnam, it has crossed the Pacific Ocean as Asian immigrants have come to the United States and brought with them their cultural preference for sons.
The legislation would ban sex-selection abortions and require women seeking abortions to sign a statement saying they are not obtaining the abortion because of the gender of the unborn baby. The bill also prohibits abortions based on the race of the unborn child.
Meanwhile, the Senate health committee considered a bill to prohibit paying for abortions with taxpayer funds through any health insurance program – a particular concern as the new Obamacare health care law is implemented, which contains numerous loopholes that can allow abortion funding.
The Senate panel also took up legislation to require abortion practitioners to allow women a chance to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before getting an abortion. Women frequently receive an ultrasound at abortion businesses to evaluate the age of the unborn baby before the abortion but they are typically not shown the images or given a description of the development of the potential newborn – something lawmakers say frequently convinces them to seek abortion alternatives.
