Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Unborn Victims Act S.1084

Today we're taking up S. 1084, also know as the Unborn Victims Act on Special Order. Special Order is necessary when a minority report is attached to a bill. There was a Democrat minority report attached. This bill is also commonly referred to as Laci's Law in memory of the California woman, Laci Peterson, who was brutally murdered and whose unborn son, Connor, also died as a result.
The bill is pretty simple and straightforward. It mandates that anyone who commits an intentional act resulting in the death of a unborn child is, in fact, guilty of murder just as if they killed any other human being. That would be true even if the mother herself was not killed. Also, the potential punishments are the same. Abortions are exempt from this bill, yet this legislation will give the unborn child more recognition. In other words this is a small step in the direction of the sanctity of human life. I'd like to thank the other co-sponsors of this legislation, Senators McConnell, Ritchie, Campsen, Ford, Ryberg and Knotts for making this a priority. Let me know your thoughts as the debate proceeds. The legislation passed with a simple voice vote.