Pro-abortion lawmakers in Washington state are incentivising more women to abort their unborn babies by requiring that health insurance plans cover abortion on demand.
On Wednesday, the state Senate passed a bill to force health insurance plans to cover abortions if they also cover maternity care, The Spokesman-Review reports. State Senate Bill 6219 also would set up a program to pay for abortions for women without insurance and those on Medicaid, according to KIRO 7 News.
Pro-life advocates in the state said the bill will force taxpayers to pay for unborn babies’ abortion deaths. However, abortion activists argued that it will help low-income women who struggle to afford an abortion.
“Washington has long led the way on this issue, and passing the Reproductive Parity Act (RPA) will be yet another example of that,” said state Sen. Steve Hobbs, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. “It should pass, and we should move quickly on it because these days it’s really anybody’s guess as to what the Trump administration will or won’t do next.”
Human Life of Washington described the bill as “free abortions for all,” including illegal immigrants. The pro-life group is urging people to call their state House legislators.
During a committee hearing Jan. 22, student pro-life advocates told lawmakers that abortion clinics in Seattle abort unborn babies up to 26 weeks, past the point of viability.
Washington state laws already support abortion on demand to an extreme degree. Earlier this year, Americans United for Life described Washington as the most pro-abortion state in America. Hobbs’ legislation would make the state even more pro-abortion.
Previous attempts to pass the legislation failed, but Hobbs said he hopes it will pass this year because Democrats now are in control of the state Senate.
Pro-life legislators tried to add amendments to protect unborn babies and conscience rights, but none passed.
Here’s more from the Spokesman-Review:
Republicans, who at one point argued it should be called the Abortion Insurance Mandate Law, offered several amendments, including allowing exemptions for employers with objections based on religion or conscience.
Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, offered amendments to ban abortions for sex selection, sexual orientation and Down syndrome. “Those of us who believe abortion involves two people believe all God’s children should be protected,” he said.
SUPPORT PRO-LIFE NEWS! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation to share the pro-life message in 2018
Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said a ban on sex selection abortions was necessary to protect girls.
“Little girls have every right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he said. “This amendment is necessary so we don’t have pre-natal sex discrimination.”
All failed.
In January, a Marist poll found strong opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions. Consistent with previous findings, 60 percent of Americans said they oppose taxpayer funding for abortions.
Doctor-prescribed suicide also is legal in Washington state, making it one of the most anti-life places in the world.
