Senate Stalls Bill

The Democrats in the Senate are stalling a bill aimed at protecting parents' right to be involved in an underage daughter's abortion decision.

The Senate approved the bill Tuesday, but Senate Democrats used procedural objections to prevent it from being sent this week to final negotiations with the House, which has approved a different version.

This is not surprising. If something is meant to save lives, you can always count on at least one Democrat to be against it.

Both bills would punish anyone who knowingly skirts a state's parental notification or consent law by taking a pregnant minor to another state to have an abortion. Violators would face fines, up to one year in prison or both, and parents would be able to sue the person who transported their daughter.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it. However, it turns out that it's not so simple.

The House version would require the doctor performing the abortion to contact at least one of the girl's parents if the minor is from out of state. Failure to do so could result in fines, up to a year in prison or both.

The Senate bill doesn't have such a provision, but is does contain language clarifying that a father who rapes his underage daughter wouldn't be able to sue someone who transports her out of state for an abortion. If that father transports her, he would be subject to the bill's penalties.

This seems to be where it gets sticky. The House wants to punish the doctors, and the Senate doesn't, but does want to punish the father IF he's the culprit. And? Where's the problem?

"Senator Boxer wants rapists and perpetrators of incest punished," she said. "The House bill, among other extreme things, allows rapist fathers to retain their parental rights. That's simply not acceptable."

Katie, bar the door! I'm actually agreeing with Sen. Boxer! No! Father's (and I use that word loosely here) should NOT retain parental rights if they can't keep their stinking hands off their daughters! That idea is just sick! I would suggest that they all go back to the drawing board, start using plain, simple English - and get it right!