Perry’s Anti-Abortion Law Takes Effect This Week, Requiring Women To Get A Sonogram 24 Hours Before

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/08/29/306499/perrys-anti-abortion-law-takes-effect-this-week-requiring-women-to-get-a-sonogram-24-hours-before-an-abortion/

This Thursday marks the beginning of Texas’ new fiscal year, and with it a slew of conservative legislation signed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) takes effect.

Among those laws is the highly controversial sonogram law Perry signed in May, forcing pregnant women seeking abortions to undergo a medically unnecessary ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion and to hear a description of the fetus:

One new law requires a doctor to attempt to show a woman seeking an abortion a sonogram of the fetus, to describe the image and to provide the sound of the fetal heartbeat before the procedure. Federal Judge Sam Sparks is expected to rule before Thursday on a challenge to the law by the Center for Reproductive Rights.

“This law is intrusive, patronizing to women and unconstitutional,” said Julie Rikelman, the center’s lead attorney on the case. She said patients should be given only the information and medical tests appropriate for the circumstances and that a doctor should not have to act as a “government agent.”

The sonogram law is a transparent attempt by anti-abortion activists to chip away at women’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy. The Senate sponsor of the bill, Dan Patrick (R) hailed it as “the beginning of the end for abortions,” and said he was so proud that he was “inspired to wear my cowboy hat” when Perry signed the bill.

I am completely disgusted with this man.

Remember how conservatives would rail against "unfunded mandates?"

because of this right to Perry's house, let him take care them.

...of rape, incest, and fetal abnormality in the bill."

Kyyyyyrist these people are sick! :grr:

I wonder if this could be fought in court. There's no medical justification for this.

to remove unnecessary medical procedures.

and stop this bastard in his tracks. I don't care what the state, I believe the majority of women in the US are pro-choice. They may not admit it in public, but in their hearts and minds most women of at least average intelligence want choice for themselves. If I lived in Texas I would do everything in my power to start a movement against him, for women, for choice, and to keep him from getting anywhere near the presidency.

Perry is a dangerous man.

I assume they couldn't even come up with a weak justification, and the whole purpose is just to intimidate a woman into not getting an abortion. You figure the assholes would at least be honest enough to admit that.

The ugly people who inflict this damage on women's lives and health should be ashamed of themselves.

That early in a pregnancy, the fetus can't be seen using an external sonogram on the belly. The fetus is just too small.

Instead, they're going to have to put a probe into the woman's vagina. The probes aren't exactly small. And it can take quite a bit of manipulation to position the probe so it can see the fetus.

But hey, gotta punish those sluts!