Current.com Blog | April 11, 2012 | 2 comments

Life begins two weeks before conception? Arizona House thinks so

Arizona lawmakers gave final passage to three anti-abortion bills and changing the way the state defines pregnancies. We're taking a closer look at this story from the Current community. Check it out and add your two cents:

Arizona Abortion Bill: Legislators Pass Three Bills, Including One That Redefines When Life Begins

Submitted by McSpocky

The Arizona House approved bills that include declaring life potentially begins two weeks before conception and prohibiting abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. Also approved by the House was a "wrongful birth, wrongful life" bill that prohibits lawsuits against doctors who do not provide information about a fetus' health. Another bill requires that schools teach students that adoption and birth are the most acceptable outcomes for for an unwanted pregnancy.

A sentence in the bill defines gestational age as "calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of the pregnant woman," which would move the beginning of a pregnancy up two weeks prior to conception.

State Rep. Matt Heinz (D-Tucson), a physician, said he did not want the state to set the gestational age since science could not provide a precise one. "I imagine it will be a legal dispute. How can a judge determine gestational age?" Heinz said. "If medical science can only determine gestational age to within 10-14 days, how can a superior court judge do it?"

The bill will go to Gov. Jan Brewer for review

The community responds:

Incredulous: "how extremely pompous of Arizona to think that they have the right to make this decision and then, I'm sure their intention is to enforce law based upon their subjective decision....how arrogant and ignorant."

Vierotchka: "It is practically impossible to determine when conception occurred, so that law is ludicrous."

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(Photo: Getty Images)

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2 comments // Life begins two weeks before conception? Arizona House thinks so

  • Milieu
    • +2
      Milieu  
    • MEET the New Prophet from Arizona - - - State Rep. Kimberly Yee.

      God spake to Yee. God tells Yee what is good!

    • 1 year ago
  • tamra
    • +2
      tamra  
    • well lemme start getting my child support claims against the most wealthy in Arizona since it all begins before conception!!

    • 1 year ago
rluz
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