After the Judiciary Committee gave Gov. Jant Mills’ late-term abortion bill the stamp of approval Friday, Maine Wire Editor-in-Chief Steve Robinson sat down with Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin), Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), and Dr. Thom Page, DO, to discuss the development for the Maine Wire podcast.
State House Democrats scheduled a snap hearing on Gov. Janet Mills’ late-term abortion bill, less than one day after a rushed work session for the bill ended in controversy, with Republicans accusing Judiciary Co-Chairs of pulling shenanigans to squelch debate.
After a little parliamentary drama, Democrats were able to file an ought to pass motion on the bill — with an amendment — setting the stage for the House and then Senate to vote on whether Maine should adopt one of the most permissive abortion regimes ever proposed.
That vote could come as early as next week.
GOP members got word late Friday morning that Democrats were prepared squeeze a last minute work session for LD 1619 in between judicial confirmations, which teed up a quick vote.
Republicans on the committee came with some shenanigans of their own.
Because the session was called at the last minute, few lawmakers were in attendance. After condemning the unusual process associated with the bill, Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin) questioned whether the committee had a quorum, that is, whether they had enough members to have a vote.
At that point, Brakey and the rest of the Republicans exited the room, meaning there was no longer a quorum.
However, Judiciary Co-Chair Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) was prepared for this development, and after a brief phone call, Sen. Jill Duson (D-Cumberland) arrived with paperwork from Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook) appointing her to the committee. Quorum re-established.
After another round of speeches from the committee members, the bill moved “ought to pass” on party lines, which means the table has been laid for one of the most dramatic floor fights of the session.
The ordeal marked yet another contentious chapter in Democratic efforts to remove all restrictions on abortion in the state of Maine.
Prior to the work session Thursday, Democrats tried to float a last minute amendment that would more clearly define when an abortion is “necessary.”
The amendment modified the original proposal to assert that abortions would have to adhere to the “standards of care” in medicine.
Floating the amendment was a sign that Democrats understood that the bill they’ve delayed having a work session on for more than a month wasn’t perfect.
But the amendment did little to pacify Republicans, who still asserted that LD 1619 effectively removed all limits on abortion. They continued to assert that the Democratic members’ desire in addressing late-term fatal fetal abnormalities could be accommodated with a less broad bill.
Dr. Thom Page, a doctor who has specialized in obstetrics and gynecology for more than 30 years, was the witness Republican lawmakers were blocked from questioning Thursday night, but they were allowed to ask a single question of him Friday.
He gave his opinion of what the amendment would mean in practice.
“The phrase “Standard of Care” is a general outline of any common medical practice or procedure. As it applies to 3rd trimester abortions, there is no “one size fits all” delineating the reasons for, or primary methods of providing this service,” Dr. Page said in an interview with the Maine Wire.
“A more collaborative process needs to occur involving physicians and lawmakers than simply inserting the phrase “Standard of Care” into this bill,” he said.
Earlier in the week, pro-life Republicans and their allies seemed confident that Democratic leaders, Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook) and House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland), lacked the votes to secure passage of the bill.
But a few days after Christian Civic League of Maine Director Carroll Conley suggested that might be the case on WVOM’s morning radio show, the Judiciary Committee co-chairs called for the last minute work session Thursday.
On such short notice, the Friday’s work session didn’t see the spectacle of turnout that the May 1st public hearing or the prior work session did, with pro-lifers turning out by the thousands and later the hundreds to oppose the bill.
Moonen, in his remarks during the session, took the opportunity to remind those present that the estimated 1,900 people who turned out to oppose LD 1619 was not, in fact, historic or record setting.
He said that a hearing for a same-sex marriage bill several years ago holds that distinction.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="20127 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=20127">3 Comments
Republicans should disarm the Marxist Democrats by proposing an abortion amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
We the people of Maine know nothing about threats to conservative, common sense ideology because the Portland Press does our liberal governor’s bidding
Didn’t one of the co-sponsors of this bill force through a law to respectfully bury coyotes (like there is any way that can even be enforced); while wanting unborns to be ripped apart and discarded like yesterdays garbage….how can this make sense to anyone alive???