Friday, February 21, 2020 | Charlie Butts Reprinted from One News Now by permission (OneNewsNow.com)
Wyoming could become the 28th state to give women time to think before having an abortion. House Bill 197 has passed the House Judiciary Committee and is to be considered by the full House. Representative Scott Clem (R) has co-sponsored the bill that would require a 48-hour waiting period between the time when a woman signs up for an abortion and when she actually goes through with the procedure, which he points out “is not unlike other procedures.” “If you were going to have an elective surgery or something, if it wasn’t an emergency situation, you wouldn’t have surgery right away,” Clem submits. “The doctor would give you information. You would weigh the risks and the benefits, and then you would make an informed decision.” So he does not believe abortion should be an exception, as women in many situations seek an abortion because of pressure from family members, husbands, or boyfriends. As for the argument that women in poverty would be harmed by having to wait, travel twice to the clinic, and pay other expenses during the 48 hour period, Rep. Clem calls that a “red herring.” Pictured above: Representative Scott Clem (R) “Many abortion providers want people to make quick, hasty decisions,” he asserts. “They’re in it for the money. They’re not actually in it for the people involved — namely the mother and the child whose life is being terminated.” He expects the bill will pass in the House, but at this point its feat is uncertain in the Senate, so the representative believes encouraging calls and emails from constituents would be helpful. At present, 27 states require a waiting period for abortion.
