Women deserve better

To the editor,

After the Dobbs’ decision overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion laws to each state, Gov. Janet Mills quickly broke her campaign promise to not expand Maine’s abortion laws. She explains, “The legislation is inspired by the story of Yarmouth resident Dana Peirce, who had to seek an abortion out-of-state after she discovered her child was suffering from a deadly form of skeletal dysplasia …” And Ms. Peirce stated her baby “had a rare and lethal form of skeletal dysplasia.”

With the baby’s sad and tragic deadly and lethal disease, it’s unclear why the mother chose to go out of state for her abortion; she legally could have terminated her pregnancy here in Maine where late-term abortions for non-viable babies have been legal.

In Maine, a doctor is not required to perform an abortion; ultrasounds and safety inspections are not required; taxpayers pay for abortions; and admitting privileges at a hospital are not required, in case something goes wrong.

With a willing provider, this proposal would legalize due date abortions, many weeks past viability, for any reason.

If the abortionist has no license, this proposal also eliminates the current criminal penalty. This means an unlicensed provider could perform an invasive medical procedure that involves the delivery and killing of a viable baby, in a dirty clinic, blindly without an exploratory ultrasound, but could only be charged with a misdemeanor. The last thing a woman facing this difficult decision needs to worry about is if the provider is licensed.

Women deserve better.

Heather Sirocki

Scarborough