While states like Georgia and Alabama have been working hard to restrict abortion laws, other states like New York and Rhode Island are moving in a more progressive direction, celebrating abortion right up until birth.
On Tuesday, Rhode Islands state Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on a bill similar to the one passed in New York this past spring that will legalize abortions up to birth.
The legislation was defeated in May when the committee voted 5 to 4 against the pro-abortion legislation. After holding the matching House-passed bill “for further study,” Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said that “there is opportunity for further action.”
“I ask all parties to continue working together to see if amended language can be developed that will pass committee and be brought to the floor,″ Ruggerio said.
Like Senate President Ruggerio predicted, the bill has found its way back to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will potentially allow mothers to abort their babies up to birth.
In an email to supporters, Rhode Island Right to Life warned of the possible bill passing and encouraged supporters to contact their senators in opposition.
“… for the first time in history — Rhode Island law would create and recognize a ‘right’ to take the life of an innocent human being through abortion even though our state Constitution explicitly disavows such a ‘right,’” the email wrote.
According to the Rhode Island Right to Life, most constituents in Rhode Island do not support the bill, a recent WPRI/RWU poll showing.
Last week, pro-choice activists flooded the Rhode Island Statehouse rallying for the Senate to “codify the human rights protections of Roe v Wade into Rhode Island State Law,” according to Uprise Rhode Island.
Danika Severino Wynn, the regional clinical director of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, spoke at the event, saying that she is “petrified” by restrictive legislation regarding abortion in America.
“It is simple – abortion is health care. It is time for the Rhode Island Senate to join the House and bring the Reproductive Privacy Act to the floor for a vote,” said Wynn.
“Let me be clear, no matter how hard the anti-choice groups try abortion will NEVER go away,” she said. “It will only become unsafe and those most burdened will be low-income people and people of color – groups of people who are already most impacted by the health care disparities plaguing our system.”
Just like the New York pro-abortion bill passed in January, if this bill is passed by Rhode Island on Tuesday, it would allow for babies to be aborted up to birth.
Pray for the lawmakers, that they would rule to protect life on Tuesday, and not
If you want to contact Rhode Island leadership about this vote, the Senate President office number is 401-222-6655 and the Majority Leader’s office number is 401-222-3310.