Rep. Kathy Souza | GrokWatch News Desk
After receiving this membership email from Cornerstone Policy Research, I felt the need to respond. Cornerstone supported the original SB 40 language containing “sustained extrauterine survival” and lobbied the Senate for its passage. My response to this email is in italics – Cornerstone comments are in bold. Rep. Kathy Souza – Manchester
No Progress on Fetal Homicide Legislation
Yesterday was the deadline for the New Hampshire House and Senate to sign off on committee of conference reports. Of the two fetal homicide bills proposed this year, the Senate version made it as far as a conference committee. Unfortunately, the Senate and House conferees considering SB 40 were unable to come to an agreement to satisfy the differences between the House and Senate bills. The impasse was created by the varying definitions in the two bills (SB 40 starting protection at viability and HB 560 starting protection at 8 weeks) and the Senate members’ concern about having enough Senate votes.
Actually, to imply there was an “impasse” is quite incorrect. There was never a true “viability” provision in the proposed original legislation of SB 40. “Sustained extrauterine survival” is NOT a viability provision as it would be virtually impossible to prove “viability” within the context of this wording. Any Life supporter who viewed SB 40 as an acceptable fetal homicide law in NH is NOT supporting fair and just Life legislation.
As Cornerstone approached these two bills, we learned the value of having not only a well-put-together bill but also a stellar coalition.
“A stellar coalition” is not as important as supporting fair and just Life legislation. A coalition built to support an inferior bill just may be worse than having no coalition at all. SB 40, in its unamended form, would have victimized, over and over, the very families this bill was proposing to serve. A bad bill is a bad bill and does not deserve a “coalition” in any true sense of the word.
As we noted at our dinner, we are seeking to build a movement and are dedicated to doing so. This conference made it very clear that there is much work to be done. However, we are excited to build from this experience.
Indeed, there was a coalition of pro-life members of the New Hampshire House, New Hampshire Right to Life, and Americans United for Life, a premier legal group dedicated to, among other issues, recognizing the rights of families victimized by fetal homicide. Support for HB560 and the House amendment to SB40 was strong and well presented to both House and Senate, as evidenced by the passage of both in the N. H. House. AUL was clear in testimony that the Senate wording would be nearly meaningless and likely set N. H. back.
The NH House of Representatives offered a solid Fetal Homicide bill, not just once this session, but twice! It was the unprincipled political antics in the NH State Senate which defeated the House amended changes to SB 40 – changes which would have benefited those families already dealing with the tragedy of fetal homicide in NH.
However, Cornerstone now has the opportunity to do the right thing. A second chance, if you will. HB 560, Rep. Leon Rideout’s Fetal Homicide bill, which includes the preborn victim from eights weeks of gestation, is now languishing in the NH State Senate. It is time for citizens to call upon their Senators to pass HB560 without further posturing, dealing, and whining. It would be most unjust to do anything less.
