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Published Wednesday, February 22, 2012 in Local

Democrats skewer McKillip with 'anti-vasectomy' legislation

By WALTER C. JONES

Morris News Service

ATLANTA -- Democrats in the Georgia legislature plan to show their disagreement with an anti-abortion bill by holding a hearing Wednesday on their own "anti-vasectomy bill."

The press release from the House Democratic Caucus said the goal is to show what they call hypocrisy of a mostly male legislature passing a law on women's reproduction.

Tuesday's press release announcing it included an apparent tongue-in-cheek comment.

"Thousands of children are deprived of birth in this state every year because of the lack of state regulation over vasectomies," said state Rep. Yasmin Neal, D-Riverdale, author of the Democrats' bill. "It is patently unfair that men can avoid unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly, while women's ability to decide is constantly up for debate throughout the United States."

McKillip's proposal, House Bill 954, seeks to outlaw abortions after the stage of development at which the fetus can sense pain. He said current research pegs that point at 20 weeks after conception, seven weeks shorter than the cutoff for abortion on demand set by the 1973 Roe v Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

McKillip, an Athens Republican, was not amused when he was asked about the Democrats' stunt.

"I think it's disappointing that they would make light of something as important as protecting life," he said. "It's just not a joking matter, and it's a time for serious issues and serious discussion."

While the Democrats haven't introduced their bill, McKillip's measure is pending in the House Judiciary Committee where it has been the subject of two hearings so far but no vote. Neal is a member of that committee.

Another member is House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams of Atlanta who is also participating in Wednesday's event. "The Republican attack on women's reproductive rights is unconscionable. What is more deplorable is the hypocrisy of HB 954's author," she said. "If we follow his logic, we believe it is the obligation of this General Assembly to assert an equally invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men."

McKillip described the Democrats' comments as destructive.

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