The state Catholic conference has indicated that one of many possible adjustments to a California abortion measure that might strengthen it is to ensure that it would not protect cases of infanticide

The state Catholic conference has indicated that one of many possible adjustments to a California abortion measure that might strengthen it is to ensure that it would not protect cases of infanticide.

The goal of AB 2223, sometimes known as the “infanticide bill,” is to shield women who obtain abortions or miscarriages from scrutiny and prosecution.

It would do away with the obligation that coroners look into fetuse fatalities that occur beyond 20 weeks and are connected to or follow known or suspected illegal or self-induced abortions.

The California Catholic Conference opposed the legislation but agreed to withdraw its opposition once the “most egregious” language was changed.

The primary author of the bill, Buffy Wicks, an Oakland-based Democratic Assemblywoman, cited the cases of two California women, Chelsea Becker and Adora Perez, as inspiration for the language she used.

After giving birth to stillborn children who had methamphetamine in their systems, the two were charged.

These are the kinds of things we’re attempting to prevent, especially given that we currently live in a “Handmaid’s Tale” era in which anything may happen.

In May, Wicks spoke to the Los Angeles Times. “You consider Chelsea and Adora as examples from California in 2022.

In order to guarantee that women are safeguarded in these situations, laws must be implemented.

According to the bill, “regardless of other laws, no person shall be subject to civil or criminal liability or punishment, 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, abortion, or perinatal death.”

There have been allegations that the measure could shield individuals responsible for infanticide from prosecution because of the reference of “perinatal death.”

The California Catholic Conference successfully fought to change the language to say “… or perinatal mortality owing to reasons that occurred in utero” because of this potential.

The conference’s executive director, Kathleen Domingo, told CNA that the organisation “is not in favour of AB 2223”.

Following discussions with the author about the bill’s phrasing pertaining to the allegations of “infanticide,” we are currently neutral on the legislation.

Early in the legislative session, we made the decision to actively seek the amendment of the most egregious element of the bill’s wording rather than just opposing it.

This could only happen if we committed to drop our opposition and become neutral when the language was changed.

Our lawyers and experts decided that the alteration to that particular language was satisfactory after two rounds of revisions. Thus, we fulfilled our pledge.

Before the modification was enacted, Domingo claimed, “using the term infanticide was appropriate,” but “Now that the alteration is in place, the door has been closed on infanticide.”

“The California Health and Safety Code already has a provision guaranteeing that a newborn born alive as a result of an abortion has the same entitlement to medical care as any other kid born prematurely.

That remains unchanged under AB 2223, she continued.

Make no mistake: We oppose the legislation and will continue to consider any new modifications, Domingo added.

There is still a lot that can be done to change the legislation, and we hope that other people and groups try to do it.

On August 1, the Senate appropriations committee will hold a hearing on AB 2223.

Domingo stated that the state Catholic conference “tried to change the most egregious portions of the bill” because there are numerous bills in California that favour abortion access and they are likely to be passed “no matter our viewpoint.”

Although it isn’t ideal, it was the only practical choice.

Democrats hold supermajorities in both houses of the California legislature; 60 of the 80 Assembly members and 31 of the 40 senators are Democrats.

Gavin Newsom, the governor, has vowed to turn California into an abortion “sanctuary state.”

The state is considering a pro-abortion amendment to its constitution, which the Catholic conference “vehemently opposes,” as well as training and providing personnel to perform abortions, improving privacy protections for abortion-related medical records, preventing professional boards from sanctioning healthcare professionals for providing lawful abortions, offering state-paid abortions and contraception to lower-income women, and allowing nurse practitioners to perform abortions, among other things.

Co-pays for abortions have already been eliminated in California this year, and the state has shielded its abortion providers from civil lawsuits brought by other states.

Pro-life groups “have every chance to continue the job that we started” on AB 2223, Domingo said. We even offered to introduce the bill’s author, but the request was turned down.

It would be great to have the same amount of passion and willingness to help defeat those bills as well.

The Conference is working on the 20 or so other abortion-related bills making their way through the Capitol as well as Prop 1, the abortion-related constitutional amendment that will be on the November ballot.