All seven Republican state House members from Lancaster County have signed onto a controversial bill that would require women seeking an abortion to undergo a mandatory ultrasound 24 hours before having the procedure. They are Reps. Ryan Aument of Landisville; John Bear of Lititz; Scott Boyd of West Lampeter Township; Tom Creighton of Rapho Township; Bryan Cutler of Peach Bottom; Gordon Denlinger of Narvon; and David Hickernell of West Donegal Township.
The Allentown Morning Call‘s John Micek has a nice summary of the legislation, which is described as yet another attempt to chip away at abortion rights and is similar to a bill pending in Virginia. “It’s incrementalism rather than one giant blow,” Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, told Micek. “Without overturning Roe v. Wade, you look for marginal ways to get what you want. And what [abortion opponents] want is fewer abortions.”
The legislation would also require a view screen of the ultrasound to be positioned within the woman’s field of vision, though she would not be required to look at it. “The doctor or technician performing the ultrasound would have to verify in writing whether the woman accepted or refused opportunities to view the image or listen to the fetal heartbeat when it’s present and detectable. That documentation would be placed in the woman’s permanent medical record,” notes Micek.
Here’s how the prime sponsor of the bill describes her motive; Denlinger is on camera as well:
