The Republican clowns in the Wisconsin State Legislature just can't stop themselves. Today they've introduced a bill to amend the Wisconsin State Constitution to give fetuses a right to life.
It's been less than a week since Scott Walker signed their latest anti-abortion bill and 4 days since a federal judge granted a restraining order against it until a hearing next week.
The measure — aimed at keeping an anti-abortion statute on the books if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses course on the issue — will have a difficult time passing the Legislature because it has divided anti-abortion groups, with some saying it could inadvertently work against their movement.
Article I of the state constitution begins by declaring, "All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."
Rep. André Jacque (R-De Pere) wants to drop the word "born" from that part of the constitution, so it begins, "All people are equally free and independent." He also wants to add a sentence to the constitution that says, "As applied to the right to life, the terms 'people' and 'person' shall apply to every human being at any stage of development."
If this is enacted, it will ban all abortion, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, and some forms of birth control.
Interestingly, some Republicans and even anti-abortion groups are opposed to this (perhaps they have friends and family using fertility clinics or with debilitating conditions that could be helped by stem cell research.
You'd think their 9 day ram through of their previous anti-abortion legislation, the secret signing of the bills, and next day legal blockade would have had an effect on them, but apparantly not. They're still at it even nuttier than before.
Thankfully, this bill looks like it will have a rocky road.
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4:04 PM PT: Sorry to post and run. I'l be back in about an hour.
5:36 PM PT: I'm back from an excellent fish fry. Off to see your comments.