JUNEAU — The majority leader of the Alaska Senate said Tuesday he is looking at introducing legislation that would define when an abortion is “medically necessary.”
Sen. John Coghill’s comments at an anti-abortion rally on the state Capitol steps were greeted by applause.
Coghill, R-North Pole, was the main speaker at the rally, which was held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. A number of other lawmakers, mainly Republicans, also attended.
The Alaska Supreme Court has held that the state must fund medically necessary abortions if it funds other procedures deemed medically necessary for people in need. A legislative legal opinion last year, however, said it’s not clear what makes an abortion medically necessary, and that it’s likely only further litigation will provide greater clarity.
The opinion stemmed from proposed state regulations of abortion payments.
Coghill said in an interview after the rally that he has talked with colleagues in both the House and Senate and is looking to introduce a bill with specifics once he gets more information. He said he hopes to the best of his ability to answer some of the questions the state Supreme Court had and to make a policy call on state funding of abortions.
Coghill told the more than 100 people gathered for Tuesday’s rally in Juneau that abortion is sin, and “a shame on America.” He said with abortion, God is not honored.
While there are other issues for lawmakers to take up, such as energy needs for Alaskans, Coghill said that doesn’t mean that social issues — like abortion — cannot be taken up, as well.
Sara Kiesler, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, said any restriction on access to abortions would be “blatant government overreach.”
“The fact of the matter is, in the real world, women don’t turn to politicians for advice about birth control, mammograms or cancer screenings,” she said.
Comments (47)
Add commentSeparation of Church and State
Why doesn't the world get outraged at a bunch of old men trying to lock women up, control them, dictate what they can and cannot do? Abortion is a woman's decision. Coghill is not God. He and all the other old men who think they have a right to dictate to Women what their rights are, are using religious beliefs to keep women suppressed.
This will only effect poor or lower income women. Rich or financially well off women will fly to another state to get medical attention. This will only make abortions underground and unsafe. It is a tool to suppress women.
Why not make a law that states if a man doesn't pay child support then he goes to jail or is mandated by law to get a vasectomy.
El Boorba and wmolson said it best.
El Boorba and wmolson said it best.
However, does the sky tend to fall on those that call others sinners? Probably not.
"Coghill told the more than 100 people gathered for Tuesday’s rally in Juneau that abortion is sin, and “a shame on America.” He said with abortion, God is not honored."
Senator Coghill's statements sound a bit like a Hell, Fire and Damnation lecture at a whole bunch of people surrounded by his supporters spoken from the State Capitol steps. My opinion is that MY CHRISTIAN UTERUS IS MY UTERUS whether pregnant or abortion bound or not. Thank you Senator Coghill. Your sinner and shame on America "sermon" does not belong on the State Capitol steps.
What makes an abortion
What makes an abortion medically necessary…nothing
If we pay for abortions we should also pay for boob jobs, Viagra, hair plugs, calf implants, etc etc.
Molson…why wantonly destroy
Molson…why wantonly destroy something that is and will continue to grow into a person?
If you adopted a puppy then decided it was too much trouble would you just kill it and throw it in the trash?
noroad,
There is no medically necessary reason for an abortion? what exactly qualifies you to make that decision? I would like detailed references otherwise I want you to admit you have no business making that call.
Any one of my individual sperm could potentially grow into a person given the right circumstances. Does that mean mastur bation is the equivalent to adopting a puppy then destroying it? Just like a fetus is not a person until it can survive outside the uterus you can't consider them to be the same. Because, you know, they aren't the same. You can use puppy or baby murder analogies but all it does is attempt to deflect from the issue at hand. Which is: "a fetus is not a person, therefore the person carrying it has fundamental rights that are undeniable and supersede any notion that the fetus with human DNA may have equal and conflicting rights."
leave legislation out of it
let your insurance decide what is medically necessary. They are entrusted with other medically necessary determinations: acne, wart removal, toenail fungus -- why not unborn children?
How much are you willing to pay out of pocket to fix that pesky growth?
It amazing that the human
It amazing that the human race made it to 6 billion without pregnancy killing us all off. Hey, maybe that’s what killed the dinosaurs. Pregnancy. The most dangerous thing on earth...thank god abortion saved us..
noroad,
7 billion. There are 7 billion people on this planet. You're a billion short... on more than one level...
noroad....
....first - look up "ectopic". That and a hundred other things could make a termination medically necessary.
Do you even KNOW any women? Because you certainly don't have a clue about how the female reproductive system works.
......second - we do pay for Viagra. Because old white guys 'need' it. I'm betting vasectomies are also NOT on Senator Coghill's list of things we shouldn't pay for unless they are 'medically necessary'. Hypocricy at it's finest.
.....third - you can take a puppy back to the pound.
@swimmergirl
I'm only going to ask this once, and then drop the topic: did you have ectopic pregnancy? If you say yes, I light a candle at the Cathedral. If you say no, then I have nothing to add.
@grendel
Some questions for you...
Maybe you can explain why birth control was not covered by insurance until the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare")?
Is hormonal birth control (the pill, nuva ring, implants, etc...) equal to an abortion?
Is an IUD equal to an abortion?
Is the sponge equal to an abortion?
Is a barrier method (condom/diaphragm) equal to an abortion?
Is Onanism a mortal sin?
What is sex for?
Should people be allowed to have sex for any reason beyond procreation?
Should people who are not married be allowed to have sex?
if you answer "yes" to any of those questions I will give my partner some oral pleasure, for no other reason than to get them off.
and...
WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR ANYONE BUT YOU?
to El_Boorba
1. what makes you think I owe you anything?
2. why be crude, except for the sake of being crude? There is no value in your comment about what you do with your partner except to be sensational.
3. what decisions am I making except my own?
4. you shouldnt get so excitable. People say stupid things when they get excitable.
@grendel
yes, you do say stupid things. remember that the next you tell me my mother made a mistake in not aborting me.
El-Boorba
no my friend - you misread that. I was asking you to consider the consequences if she HAD aborted you. You would not be here. Do you understand that part?
@alaska_raven
"This will only effect poor or lower income women. Rich or financially well off women will fly to another state to get medical attention."
you and I are a heartbeat apart on this matter. A tiny heartbeat, but it still beats.
hey thumb-down
with regards to my comment to alaska_raven:
f-off or comment. Sick off this sniping. Cowards.