The Massachusetts pro-life community is urging Gov. Charlie Barker to veto newly passed legislation that expands access to late-term abortion and removes protections for babies who survive an abortion.

At issue is the House- and Senate-passed state budget, which includes a controversial pro-choice amendment that expands access to abortion after 24 weeks and removes parental consent for minors ages 16 and 17 who want an abortion. The amendment also eliminates specific protections for late-term babies who survive an abortion.

Barker, a Republican, has said in the past he opposes late-term abortion.

The pro-life Massachusetts Family Institute is one of several pro-life groups urging him to veto the amendment. Massachusetts law allows governors to “line-item veto” specific parts of a bill.

“Call the Governor at 617-725-4005 and tell him he must veto this bill,” Massachusetts Family Institute said in a blog. “Even if you can’t get through to a live person, please still leave a message. The fight is not over yet.”

Massachusetts Family Institute calls the amendment the “Infanticide Act.”

Although the House and Senate passed the amendment with veto-proof majorities, the Massachusetts Family Institute hopes to change the minds of at least five House members, which would be enough to sustain a veto.

“The reason why this legislation has earned the moniker ‘Infanticide Act’ is because it removes the requirement that an abortionist ‘shall’ save the life of a baby born alive during a botched abortion and replaces it with the requirement to simply have life-saving equipment in the room with no obligation to use it,” the Massachusetts Family Institute said.

The pro-choice amendment, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Claire Cronin, removes language from current law that requires doctors to “take all reasonable steps, both during and subsequent to the abortion” to “preserve the life and health of the aborted child.” Cronin’s amendment includes weaker language that says a late-term abortion must be performed in a room that has “life-supporting equipment … to enable the physician performing the abortion to take appropriate steps, in keeping with good medical practice and consistent with the procedure being used, to preserve the life and health of a live birth and the patient.” The amendment removes the “shall” language and says the doctor only is enabled to save the baby.

The following is from Pro Life Across America

  • 18 days from conception, heart begins to beat, with the baby’s own blood.
  • 28 days from conception a baby has eyes, ears, and even a tongue!
  • 28 days from conception: Muscles are developing along the future spine. Arms and legs are budding.
  • 30 days: Child has grown 10,000 times to 6-7mm (1/4”) long. Brain has human proportions. Blood flows in veins.
  • 42 days: Skeleton is formed. Brain coordinates movement of muscles and organs. Reflex responses have begun.
  • 42 days: Brain waves can be detected, the jaw forms, including teeth and taste buds. The unborn baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid. Fingers and toes are developing.
  • 45 days from conception: The unborn baby is making body movements, a full 12 weeks before the mother may notice such stirrings. By seven weeks the chest and abdomen are fully formed. Swimming with a natural swimmer’s stroke in the amniotic fluid, the baby now looks like a miniature human infant.
  • 44-45 days: Buds of milk teeth appear, and the unborn baby’s facial muscles develop. Eyelids begin to form, protecting the developing eyes. Elbows take shape. Internal organs are present, but immature. 99% of muscles are present, each with its own nerve supply.
  • 52 Days: Spontaneous movement begins. The unborn baby then develops a whole collection of moves over the next 4 weeks including hiccuping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, pursing the lips, moving individual arms and legs, head turning, touching his/her face, breathing (without air), stretching, opening the mouth, yawning and sucking.                                                                                                                                                                                                                I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:14-16

Related:

‘Infanticide Bill’: Mass. Dems Back Bill Removing Protections for Babies Who Survive Abortion