As reported by the HuffPo, a crackpot legislator, state representative Cathrynn Brown (R-of course) in New Mexico has given birth to this freshly issued absurdity:
A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."
“Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime," the bill says.
Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.
I am now going to cancel my subscription to The Onion and stop watching all cable comedy shows. The gong show playing out on the far right stage is more hilarity than I can handle.
On second thought, maybe I'll just sit down and have a good cry.
UPDATE: Here is the link to Brown's Facebook
page where she is getting an earful. Thanks to LivesInAShoe for the link.
LATE UPDATE AND HAT TIP TO NM RAY: Never mind! She didn't really mean it, folks!
This report comes from The Carlsbad Current-Argus:
State Rep. Cathrynn Brown, sponsor of an anti-abortion bill that she called poorly written, said her intent was not to charge rape victims with a felony if they terminated their pregnancy.
Brown, R-Carlsbad, said her bill was badly drafted and that she did not catch the language problems when reviewing it. "I missed this one," she said Thursday.
Her proposal, House Bill 206, says: "Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime."
Rep. Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, said Brown's intent was to focus on a perpetrator, such as a stepfather who raped a teen, impregnated her and then demanded that she get an abortion.
Brown did not want to put any onus on a rape victim, Gentry said.
No onus! My elbow!
