Massachusetts Passes Bill to OK Killing Babies in Abortions if Roe Overturned

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Jul 24, 2018   |   5:12PM   |   Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts lawmakers sent their “N.A.S.T.Y. Woman Act” to the governor this week to keep the killing of unborn babies legal in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Gov. Charlie Baker, a pro-abortion Republican, said he plans to sign the bill, which would repeal several century-old state laws that ban abortions, the AP reports.

The legislature approved the N.A.S.T.Y. (negating archaic statutes targeting young women) bill last week. The legislation would repeal a ban on distributing information about getting an abortion or contraception and a ban on unmarried people accessing contraception. These bans have not been in effect for decades as a result of Roe v. Wade and other court decisions.

Pro-abortion lawmakers pointed to President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, as a reason for their urgency in passing the legislation. If confirmed, Kavanaugh could swing the court to a 5-4 conservative majority and be a deciding opinion on vital issues like abortion restrictions and Roe v. Wade.

“We’re concerned with what’s going to happen with women’s reproductive rights with the new conservative Supreme Court,” state Rep. Jim Hawkins, a pro-abortion Democrat, told the local news earlier this month.

But Anne Fox of Massachusetts Citizens for Life said abortions would still be legal in Massachusetts post-Roe, even without the legislation.

“They claim, that, if or when Roe v Wade is overturned, those old laws will kick in and abortion will be illegal in Massachusetts. That would be wonderful but it is exactly the opposite of the truth,” Fox wrote on the pro-life organization’s blog.

“The truth is that Massachusetts is one of the 15 states which have abortion enshrined in their state Constitutions. Overturning Roe v. Wade will change nothing in the state,” she continued.

She said Massachusetts cannot pass abortion restrictions unless it amends the state constitution. In an interview with One News Now, Fox said state lawmakers had political motivations for the legislation.

“Obviously it’s part of their talking points,” Fox said. “They’re all saying the same thing, but it raises money for them – it chins up their supporters, so they do it.”

Though the situation is discouraging, the pro-life advocate has not given up hope. She said pro-lifers in the state must double their efforts to restore protections for unborn babies.