Montana Senate Advances Four Pro-Life Bills Saving Babies From Abortion

State   |   Dave Andrusko   |   Feb 26, 2021   |   7:50PM   |   Helena, Montana

In a banner day for unborn children and their mothers, on Thursday Montana’s Senate gave initial approval to four pro-life measures, illustrating the dramatically different pro-life environment in The Treasure State. The bills advanced along party lines on 31-19 votes, “with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed,” according to the Associated Press.

NRL News Today has reported on the proposals previously in detail. Among the four are three bills vetoed in 2020 by pro-abortion Gov. Steve Bullock (D) who was replaced by pro-life Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. All four previously passed the state House.

The four are

*House Bill 136 would ban abortions performed on pain-capable unborn children, conservatively estimated at 20 weeks gestation;

*House Bill 167 would create a ballot referendum that would require abortionists to provide babies who survive an abortion with the same level of medical care as any other baby born at a similar gestation age.

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*House Bill 140  offers the opportunity for abortion-minded women to view an ultrasound of their unborn child;  and

*House Bill 171  requires women undergoing chemical (or “medication”) abortions first have an in-person visit with a doctor.

“Similar attempts have been met with a veto pen in past sessions by Democratic governors, but Montana for the first time in 16 years has a Republican in that office,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.

“Our rights and the freedom to live should include the unborn child,” Republican state Sen. Greg Hertz  said of House Bill 136. “We must value our most vulnerable and we must value life.”

Reporting for the AP, Holly Michels wrote

On Wednesday, Sen. David Howard, R-Park City, advocated for his Senate Bill 315, the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, in a Senate committee. Howard’s bill is similar to the “born-alive” referendum but would not put the question to voters and instead become effective upon passage by the Legislature and being signed by the governor. …

Gianforte’s policy director spoke in support of Howard’s bill Wednesday. Howard said Thursday he was aiming to amend his bill to include a provision that if it passes, the referendum bill would be struck

As Michels explained, “House Bill 167 was amended in the Senate, and will head back to the House for representatives to concur the amendments. HB 136, 171 and 140 have not been amended and will be on their way to the governor upon final approval by the Senate.”

LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in his National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues.