By Dave Andrusko
New Jersey state Sen. Steven Oroho
I did not know that back in April, New Jersey state Sens. Steven Oroho (R-Sussex) and Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris) introduced the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.”
I learned that today when a story in the New Jersey Star-Ledger began
Feeling energized since “pro-life” Donald Trump won the presidential election, a group of Republican lawmakers and anti-abortion rights activists announced Monday they will seek a ban on abortions in New Jersey involving any fetus that is at least 20 weeks old. [The quotation marks are the author’s, Susan K. Livio.]
Livio tells us they held a Statehouse press conference to draw attention to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act “to build on momentum from Trump’s win.”
The bill is already the law in 14 states- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
New Jersey State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio
“Make no mistake, when a legislator gets up or Donald Trump gets up and starts talking about a child have a right to exist and not feel pain, that empowers all of us,” state Sen. Pennacchio said. “We leave this room feeling a little stronger.”
Pediatricians and anesthesiologists also attended the press conference. They noted that perinatal medicine is capable of treating the unborn baby.
“If we recognize that a baby born prematurely at 22 weeks can feel pain, why would that same baby not feel pain in the womb?” said the Rev. Michael Fragoso, a former pediatrician.
Livio ends her story with a very telling back-and-forth:
It is unlikely the bill (S2026) will gain traction in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Asked whether he would allow a hearing on the bill in the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizen Committee, Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), the chairman replied, “Any discussion and decision regarding the health and well-being of a woman is between her and her provider.”
Republicans mocked the priorities of their Democrat colleagues by noting a flurry of animal welfare bills have been introduced this year, including a ban on cat declawing.
“Since when did animals become more important than unborn children?” Pennacchio said.