The California Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing for a bill disguised as reproductive health yet enables a woman to hurt or kill her week-old child is set on April 5 at the state capitol building.
According to CBN News, AB 2223 is one of the nine abortion expansion bills promoted by California's "Future of Abortion Council." The council is composed of 40 pro-abortion groups that aim to protect, strengthen, and expand services for abortion in the state. AB 2223 is authored by Democrat Assemblymember Buffy Wicks from Oakland and co-authored by Democrat Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin of southern San Francisco.
AB 2223 amends the existing Reproductive Privacy Act and Reproductive Health law by decriminalizing any act or omissions a mother does to her unborn leading to the child's death even seven days or more after birth, also known as "perinatal death." This also includes an abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
"This bill would prohibit a person from being subject to civil or criminal liability, or otherwise deprived of their rights, based on their actions or omissions with respect to their pregnancy or actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome or based solely on their actions to aid or assist a pregnant person who is exercising their reproductive rights. The bill would clarify that an abortion is unauthorized if performed by a person other than the pregnant person and either the person performing the abortion is not a health care provider that is authorized to perform an abortion or the fetus is viable," the bill's literature said.
In addition, AB 2223 also empowers a mother to sue anyone-whether it be the state and its officials-that prevents her to hurt or kill her child. Costs of the lawsuit would be shouldered by the defendants, as an award to the plaintiff. Any person aiding the mother to hurt or kill her child is similarly protected by the proposed legislation.
Pro-life advocates express great concern about the bill's clause on perinatal death due to many cases where babies are left to die when they survived an abortion, instead of giving them life-saving medical care. This is the reason the bill was tagged as an infanticide bill by opponents.
According to a former nurse, Jill Stanek, stories of survivors of botched abortions left to die are true and are not a scare tactic used by pro-lifers. Stanek testified to the United States Congress about her first-hand experience of babies born alive. Stanek recounted what a nursing co-worker did to a baby who survived an abortion. The co-worker brought the baby to the soiled utility room to be left to die. Stanek said she couldn't bear the child dying alone that she cradled and rocked him for 45 minutes before he died. Stanek said that was a pivotal moment in her life for it transformed her into becoming a pro-life activist.
California Family Council President Jonathan Keller warned through CBN News that AB 2223 will "open season on unwanted newborns" in the state once it becomes a law. Keller pointed out that pro-abortion advocates no longer distinguish the killing of a child whether before or after birth.
"For years, pro-life advocates have argued there is no moral difference between ending a child's life days before birth or days after birth. California's pro-abortion legislators now seemingly agree. A political culture that justifies killing millions of children in the womb is now declaring open season on unwanted newborns. Every Californian must oppose this heinous bill," Keller said.
Keller's sentiments were echoed by other legal experts who attest that approving the bill is legalizing infanticide in California since it not only decriminalizes the killing of children in the womb but even after their birth.
The hearing comes a week after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the Abortion Accessibility Act or SB 245 that amends several existing state laws on abortion coverage. In particular, the Reproductive Privacy Act, Medi-Cal program, and Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975. The law removes the burden of paying for abortion services in California and mandates its full coverage in health insurance plans.
