By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)
Legislation introduced by State Rep. Amanda Price of Park Township would make it illegal for someone to try and coerce a woman who does not want an abortion into having one. The bill was introduced last week and has many co-sponsors. It has been referred to the Criminal Justice Committee.
Price's bill fines violators $5,000-$10,000.
Some key parts: "THREATEN DOES NOT INCLUDE CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED SPEECH OR ANY GENERALIZED STATEMENT REGARDING A LAWFUL PREGNANCY OPTION."
Also: "UNBORN CHILD" MEANS A LIVE HUMAN BEING IN UTERO REGARDLESS OF HIS OR HER GESTATIONAL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT."
Here is the bill:
"(1) A PERSON HAVING ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE THAT A FEMALE INDIVIDUAL IS PREGNANT SHALL NOT DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WITH THE INTENT TO COERCE HER TO HAVE AN ABORTION AGAINST HER WILL:
(A) COMMIT, ATTEMPT TO COMMIT, OR THREATEN TO COMMIT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING VIOLATIONS AGAINST HER OR ANY OTHER PERSON:
(i) A VIOLATION OF SECTION 411H OR SECTION 411I.
(ii) AN ASSAULTIVE CRIME. AS USED IN THIS SUBPARAGRAPH, "ASSAULTIVE CRIME" MEANS THAT TERM AS DEFINED IN SECTION 9A OF CHAPTER X OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1927 PA 175, MCL 770.9A.
(B) AFTER BEING INFORMED BY A PREGNANT FEMALE THAT SHE DOES NOT WANT TO OBTAIN AN ABORTION, ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
(i) DISCONTINUE, ATTEMPT TO DISCONTINUE, OR THREATEN TO DISCONTINUE SUPPORT THAT THE PERSON HAS A LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE OR REDUCE THAT SUPPORT TO A LEVEL BELOW HIS OR HER LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY.
(ii) WITHDRAW, ATTEMPT TO WITHDRAW, OR THREATEN TO WITHDRAW FROM A CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE VIOLATE THE TERMS OF THAT CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT HAVING PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT OR OTHER LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT TO WHICH THE PREGNANT FEMALE IS A PARTY OR BENEFICIARY.
(iii) DISCHARGE OR THREATEN TO DISCHARGE HER FROM EMPLOYMENT.
(iv) ENGAGE IN COERCION AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION 462A.
(2) FOR PURPOSES OF SUBSECTION (1)(B), INFORMATION THAT A PREGNANT FEMALE DOES NOT WANT TO OBTAIN AN ABORTION INCLUDES ANY STATEMENT OR ACT, INCLUDING INACTION, THAT WOULD CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE TO A REASONABLE PERSON THAT SHE IS UNWILLING TO COMPLY WITH A REQUEST OR DEMAND TO HAVE AN ABORTION.
(3) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A CRIME AS FOLLOWS:
(A) FOR A VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION (1)(A), THE PERSON IS GUILTY OF A CRIME PUNISHABLE IN THE SAME MANNER AS FOR THE UNDERLYING OFFENSE COMMITTED, ATTEMPTED, OR THREATENED.
(B) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (C), FOR A VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION (1)(B), THE PERSON IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN $5,000.00.
(C) IF THE PERSON IS THE FATHER OR PUTATIVE FATHER OF THE UNBORN CHILD, THE PREGNANT INDIVIDUAL IS LESS THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF THE VIOLATION, AND THE PERSON IS 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF THE VIOLATION, THE PERSON IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN $10,000.00.
(4) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE PERSON FROM BEING CHARGED WITH, CONVICTED OF, OR PUNISHED FOR ANY OTHER VIOLATION OF LAW COMMITTED WHILE VIOLATING THIS SECTION.
(5) THE COURT MAY ORDER A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED FOR VIOLATING THIS SECTION TO BE SERVED CONSECUTIVELY TO ANY OTHER TERM OF IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED FOR A VIOLATION OF LAW COMMITTED WHILE VIOLATING THIS SECTION.
(6) AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
(A) "COURSE OF CONDUCT" MEANS A PATTERN OF CONDUCT COMPOSED OF A SERIES OF 2 OR MORE SEPARATE NONCONTINUOUS ACTS EVIDENCING A CONTINUITY OF PURPOSE.
(B) "THREATEN" MEANS TO MAKE 2 OR MORE STATEMENTS OR TO ENGAGE IN A COURSE OF CONDUCT THAT WOULD CAUSE A REASONABLE PERSON TO BELIEVE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS LIKELY TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENTS OR THE COURSE OF CONDUCT. THREATEN DOES NOT INCLUDE CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED SPEECH OR ANY GENERALIZED STATEMENT REGARDING A LAWFUL PREGNANCY OPTION.
(C) "UNBORN CHILD" MEANS A LIVE HUMAN BEING IN UTERO REGARDLESS OF HIS OR HER GESTATIONAL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT."
Basically, it shall be illegal to do illegal things....................except express your opinion (protected free speech) followed by page upon page and precept upon precept of footnotes and cross references with the attendant fines and criminal sanctions. Can someone explain the point?
ReplyDelete@Geoff H. Did you miss the whole organ harvesting thing with Planned Parenthood that was splashed all over the net?
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DeleteI really like your writing style, great information, thankyou for posting.
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