Well, that didn’t take long
Just two days after some of the more anti-woman elements in the Michigan State House of Representatives introduced legislation that would essentially mandate invasive transvaginal ultrasounds for women getting an abortion, Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger says he’s not interested:
“While I want to be sure women have access to the best technology available, I have absolutely no interest in forcing a woman to have a transvaginal ultrasound,” Bolger, R-Marshall, said in a statement. “This House of Representatives will not pass a bill mandating transvaginal ultrasounds.”
Maybe he saw what happened down in Virginia when they tried the same thing there:
[Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell] initially supported a vaginal probe clause that would have required women to undergo a vaginal ultrasound examination before having an abortion. After a national public outcry he withdrew his support for the clause minutes before it was to be debated by the Virginia House of Delegates. The adopted state measure still requires doctors to perform an ultrasound examination (minus vaginal probe) before performing an abortion and for women to wait 24 hours after the ultrasound to have the abortion.
The bill may not be going away, however, though it’s unlikely to survive in its current form. Rep. Joel Johnson who introduced the bill says he’s “very open” to modifying the bill to remove that requirement and that he just wants women “to make an informed decision”.
Sure you do, Rep. Johnson. Sure you do.
Planned Parenthood’s Lori Lamerand put it bluntly, describing just how out of touch and ill-informed Republican lawmakers themselves are:
It shows a distinct lack of what kind of care happens for women in abortion care facilities as it is. To think we don’t offer wide-ranging information to women who want it is simply erroneous.
Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel released this statement through his Press Secretary Katie Carey:
Leader Greimel commends the Speaker for standing up to the extremist right – wing members of his caucus and rejecting this proposal to force women to undergo an invasive procedure that is unnecessary and unwarranted.
I won’t be surprised if they continue to push for mandated ultrasounds of some kind but at least we can put this state-mandated molestation behind us. Thank heavens for small favors, I guess.
[Photo credit: Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog]
