‘Born Alive’ Bill Passes Wyoming Senate Committee 4-1
A bill that would require medical personnel to try to save the life of any baby that is born alive after an abortion has passed s Wyoming Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee on a 4-1 vote.
Senate File 97 now goes on to the full Wyoming Senate for further consideration. It is being sponsored by Sen. Cheri Steinmetz [R-Goshen, Weston, Niobrara counties]. Committee Chair Sen. Charles Scott [R-Natrona County] said on Wednesday that he was struggling with some of the issues surrounding the bill.
Just before Friday's vote, Scott said he was ''torn" on the proposal, but he ended up voting in favor of it. He was joined by Senators Bouchard, Schuler and Pappas in supporting the measure. Sen. Fred Baldwin [R-Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta counties] voted against the bill, commenting before voting that he feels the issues the bill tries to address are covered under current Wyoming law.
State law only allows abortions prior to when a fetus is ''viable," or when the infant can live outside the womb. But there is an exemption for cases where the mother's life is in danger, and Sen. Scott said on Wednesday that he thinks that is the scenario in which Senate File 97 might come into play in Wyoming.