Long Island Newsday Examines Antiabortion Groups' Use of Scott Peterson Case, Congressional Majority To Push Agenda

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 10 Feb 2005 - 4:00 PDT


.Long Island Newsday on Wednesday examined how the high-profile murder of pregnant California woman Laci Peterson and new antiabortion majorities in Congress have "galvanized" antiabortion groups to press for more abortion-rights restrictions. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said the Peterson case "clearly helped to pass" a new federal law that makes it a separate crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a violent federal crime against a pregnant woman (Susman, Long Island Newsday, 2/9). President Bush in April 2004 signed the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, also known as "Laci and Conner's Law" to honor Peterson, who was murdered by her husband Scott in December 2002. Under the measure, perpetrators can be charged regardless of whether they were aware of the woman's pregnancy. The law applies to fetuses at "any stage of development" but states that "nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the prosecution ... of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf has been obtained" (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 11/15/04). Despite the abortion exception, Perkins said the true intent of the law is to restrict abortion rights. He added, "It puts a crack in the legal reasoning for Roe v. Wade, so yes, it is ultimately laying the groundwork for a significant reduction of abortions in this country." Twenty-nine states have similar laws -- four of which were passed "in the wake" of the Peterson case -- and 12 more states are considering such laws, according to Newsday. Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, said that abortion rights are "more vulnerable" now than at any time since the passage of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down state abortion bans, according to Newsday (Long Island Newsday, 2/9).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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