A pro-abortion bill in California was at the center of a protest on Tuesday, when thousands of pro-lifers descended at the state capitol to express their disapproval of infanticide.
On Tuesday, pro-life advocates and supporters gathered at California's state capitol to protest what they believe is an extreme pro-abortion measures that sorely lacks the civil and criminal penalties in deaths of newborn babies. Assembly Bill 2223, which critics call "The Infanticide Bill," passed on to the next step in the legislative process following a vote of 11 to 3 at the California Assembly Health Committee.
CBN News reported that while the bill does not mention the word "infanticide," it does remove all penalties and investigations that would result in the "perinatal death" of infants. Unfortunately, "perinatal death" is not clearly defined, meaning the measure will allow for negligent deaths of babies who survive late-term abortions.
The "Infanticide Bill" was authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks of Oakland and co-authored by Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin, both Democrats. The proposed measure protects any person who "aids or assists a pregnant person in exercising" their rights to abortion. It also allows a woman to file a case against any police department or legal authority that arrests or charges her for undergoing an abortion under provisions of the bill.
Moreover, AB 2223 strips the coroner of his duty to determine a newborn baby died if the death is known or suspected to be because of a self-induced or criminal abortion. If the coroner pursues to determine the newborn's death, the result cannot be used to prosecute anyone involved in the child's death. The "Infanticide Bill" would also leave babies born alive after a failed abortion at risk for death by neglect, which may be considered murder.
"California lawmakers have crossed a red line by seeking to legitimize the killing of hours-old and even week-old infants," Attorney Matthew McReynolds with the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) remarked. "This is not about expanding abortion rights; this is a degree of evil that the overwhelming majority of Americans, regardless of how they identify politically, cannot stomach. We will be working to defeat this insane and diabolical bill."
National Center for Law and Policy (NCLP) president Dean Broyles submitted a strong opposition letter to the Assembly Health Committee before Tuesday's hearing, arguing that the proposed legislation "decriminalizes infanticide." He added that voting for the "Infanticide Bill" is "unacceptable," describing it as a "truly savage outcome for a civilized people who appropriately value human dignity and human life."
The crowd gathered outside the California state capitol on Tuesday was estimated to be at 3,000, including Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and other pastors and churchgoers, the Christian Post reported. The protest was led by Capitol Resource Institute, California Family Council and Real Impact.
Hibbs argued that America has failed to "[keep] our republic," which is why the country has " sunken to the level that we have in crime, in lawlessness, in racism. He added, "All these things, notice, have surfaced as America departs from God. Look what's filling the void, absolute lawlessness is filling that void when God's removed."
