Lawmaker Whose Adopted Daughter Was Raped Wants To Restrict Abortion For Rape And Incest Victims
by Tara Culp-Ressler Posted on March 18, 2015 at 8:42 am
An Arkansas lawmaker who has recently sparked controversy for giving away his adopted daughter to a man who later sexually abused her is sponsoring legislation to make it harder for young victims to end a pregnancy resulting from abuse.
State Rep. Justin Harris (R) is spearheading HB 1424, which seeks to strengthen his state’s parental consent requirements for minors seeking an abortion. It’s one of a slew of anti-choice restrictions that the Arkansas legislature is currently considering.
Right now, Arkansas residents under the age of 18 can only get an abortion after getting consent from one of their parents. The court system can excuse them from this requirement if they go through what’s a called a judicial bypass procedure. Or, if they became pregnant as a result of incest, rape, or sexual abuse, they can claim an exemption to the law and waive the consent requirement.
Harris’ bill would tighten those requirements, removing the current exemption for victims of sexual crimes — making those minors’ abortion access dependent on permission from parents they may not feel safe confiding in.
More:
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/03/18/3635237/justin-harris-parental-consent/
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