FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 17, 2021
Contact: Prudence Robertson, [email protected] | 240-672-2828
Popular Law Signed by Gov. Ducey Protects Unborn Children With Down Syndrome From Modern-Day Eugenics
Washington, D.C. – In response to a lawsuit filed by several pro-abortion groups seeking to block Arizona’s new law that stops discrimination abortions, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) issued the following statement:
“The abortion lobby fights tooth and nail against protections for some of the most vulnerable children in our society – unborn babies with Down syndrome. This is modern-day eugenics,” said Sue Liebel, SBA List’s state policy director. “Despite research showing 99% of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives and overwhelming public opinion that they deserve protection, these children are targeted for lethal discrimination in the womb at alarming rates. While Governor Ducey and Arizona lawmakers acted on the will of the people to enact this law, pro-abortion groups run to the courts since they are losing Americans’ hearts and minds.
“Arizonans and most Americans are eager to humanize our extreme abortion laws, which put the U.S. among just seven nations – including North Korea and China – that allow abortion on demand for any reason up to birth. With Gov. Ducey at the helm, Arizona is leading the way in advancing compassionate pro-life protections that reflect science, popular consensus and international norms. We proudly stand with our local allies in fighting back against abortion extremism.”
Signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey in April, S.B. 1457 prohibits discriminatory abortions due to a prenatal diagnosis such as Down syndrome. It also ensures that abortion drugs cannot be shipped through the mail, prevents taxpayer dollars from being used for research that involves fetal remains from an abortion, and requires dignified and respectful treatment of the remains of aborted children.
David Prentice, Ph.D., vice president and research director of SBA List’s research arm Charlotte Lozier Institute, testified in support of the bill.
A Marist/Knights of Columbus poll earlier this year found that 70% of Americans – including 56% of those who identify as pro-choice, 59% of Democrats, and 70% of Independents – oppose abortion based on the expectation that an unborn child may have Down syndrome.
In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case involving Mississippi’s 15-week abortion limit, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider whether all pre-viability limits on abortion are unconstitutional. The case will be heard in the next term, which begins in October, with a decision most likely in the spring or summer of 2022.
CLI research shows that 47 out of 50 European nations limit elective abortion prior to 15 weeks. In addition, public opinion polls consistently show a strong majority of Americans reject pro-abortion extremism.
SBA List is a network of 900,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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