The bill’s official analysis says AB 2223 removes criminal liability from a pregnant mother in relation to “all pregnancy outcomes, including the death of a newborn for any reason during the ‘perinatal’ period after birth.”
QUICK FACTS:
- Political commentator Anthony Cabassa reported on a hearing held Tuesday regarding California Senate bill AB 2223—named the “Infanticide Bill” by critics—authored by Democrat Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (@BuffyWicks).
- Cabassa tweeted a video of Dr. Vansen Huang—whom Cabassa described as a “practicing OBGYN of 30+ years”—stating before the California Senate Assembly that a “close inspection of this bill does allow for the legalization of killing of innocent newborn children up to the age of 28 days.”
- A ‘yes’ vote on the bill is “an unequivocal and complete approval of a legalized killing of a newborn baby,” Huang went on to say, adding, “With all of my heart I oppose AB 2223 and urge you to vote ‘no.'”
- Cabassa also reported that the California Health Committee had voted 5–3 in favor of AB 2223, but that 8 out of the fourteen members are required to vote ‘yes’ for the bill to pass.
- “The vote has been left open for members who didn’t vote for or against,” said Cabassa.
- Four of the remaining members reportedly are Luz Rivas, Chad Mayes, Freddie Rodriguez, and Adrin Nazarian.
- UPDATE: Cabassa reported late Tuesday night that AB 2223 ”has passed in a 11 – 3 vote. It will now move forward to the appropriations committee and then the assembly floor for a vote.”
AB 2223’S OFFICIAL ANALYSIS SPECIFIES PERMISSION “ONE MONTH” POST-BIRTH TO TERMINATE THE BABY:
- The official analysis (below) of California bill AB 2223 prepared by State Senate Legislative Director Alison Merrilees states that “the bill could be interpreted to immunize a pregnant person from all criminal penalties for all pregnancy outcomes, including the death of a newborn for any reason during the ‘perinatal’ period after birth.”
- The analysis goes on to define the “perinatal” period as either “generally used to describe the period from approximately past 22 (or 28) completed weeks of pregnancy up to 7 completed days of life,” or, “the period from the establishment of pregnancy to one month following delivery.”
BACKGROUND:
- AB 2223 states that pregnant mothers possess a “fundamental right of privacy with respect to personal reproductive decisions” which entails the “right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy.”
- These matters include what the bill calls “postpartum care,” which is defined, according to one medical encyclopedia, as encompassing the “postpartal period,” which in turn is considered to be the “first few days after delivery” but also “includes the six-week period after childbirth up to the mother’s postpartum check-up with her health care provider.”
- The bill goes on to say “(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty, or otherwise deprived of their rights, based on their actions or omissions with respect to their pregnancy or actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion, or perinatal death.”
- Wesley J. Smith for National Review argues that in “analyzing [the above], we have to assume that the bill means what it says: No ‘civil or criminal liability or penalty . . . based on their actions or omissions with respect to . . . perinatal outcomes.’ Come to think of it, ‘actions’ could be interpreted to mean active killing, couldn’t it?”
