Senator Geist (who brought the bill) is arguing people always bring their personal beliefs. She also argues that there is an alternative to the D&E procedure, which rips apart a “baby” with forceps. The alternative is a suction abortion, so it’s disingenuous to claim that doctors would be treated as criminals, because doctors after the procedure could go to the Board of Medicine to plead their case.

She also says they have struck that the father has to be married to the mother (the bill as originally written would prohibit all abortions to single women with the D&E procedure regardless of need).

She then says her bill is “women-empowering.”