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New Law in Utah Extends Mandatory pre-Abortion Wait to 72 Hours by Surajit Sen Sharma
While the current law in Utah mandated a pre-abortion wait of 24 hours, the state has decided that the mandatory 24 hours is too short a time to cool impulsive behavior and reach logical decisions over the important issue of terminating a nascent life. Governor Gary Herbert has signed the bill into law to come into effect from May 7. A similar law has already been blocked by the court in South Dakota.
03/21/12
the time of first meeting with an abortion provider, Utah’s law starts counting the 72 hours from the first
The Governor had upset
meeting with any health professional over the issue.
conservative lawmakers last
Thus women’s rights activists find that Utah’s law would
week by refusing to pass a bill aimed at curbing sex
not be an unnecessary burden upon women.
education in schools. The move was highly criticized as Gary Herbert used his governor’s powers to veto the
The questions over the rights of the unborn are
no/low sex-education bill, holding that sex-education
many, and pre-abortion conditions vary widely from
was essential and the current checks and balances were
ultrasound tests focusing on the health of the baby to
effective in raising the needed awareness in school
the mandatory waiting time before reconfirming the
students without prejudice.
decision to carry out the abortion.
However, the Utah Governor’s new initiative that
No one can predict the future course of events in an
holds an adult is incapable of logically reconfirming an
unborn life – the child may become an average Joe, or
abortion decision within twenty four hours is likely to
an extraordinary scientist, or a capable leader of the
draw flak.
country to hold and advance the interests of the nation. At the extreme end of optimism, the question strikes
A spokeswoman for the Governor’s office told the media
us, are we losing a future president of the country?
“Governor Herbert is an adamant supporter of rights for the unborn … He felt the bill appropriately allows
While Republicans are mostly of the opinion that at
a woman who’s facing that decision to fully weigh her
least 72 hours should be given before confirming the
options and the implications of that decision.”
decision to abort a future Bush, Democrats seem unanimous in their decision that no more than 24 hours
There is a significant difference between the South
should be delayed before aborting the possibility of
Dakota law for 72-hour pre-abortion wait, and Utah’s
another future Obama.
law of 72-hour pre-abortion wait. While the South Dakota law starts counting those 72 hours only from
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