SHANE RICHARDSON'S STATEMENT ON HOUSE BILL NO. 1077 (WOMEN'S RIGHT TO KNOW ACT)

By Shane V. Richardson

The following is a statement by Shane Richardson, Democratic candidate for the PA 47th House Seat, regarding the recently proposed House Bill No. 1077, referred to as the Women's Right to Know Act:

House Bill No. 1077, better known as the Women's Right to Know Act, is one of the most appalling and reprehensible pieces of legislation Harrisburg has ever produced. Both Republicans and Democrats alike need to review this legislation and realize this is not a bill with the women of PA in mind.

Representatives claim this is not taking away the right to choose. But this bill is just another attempt to insert government into what should be a private medical setting and possibly into an even more private place. Most prominent is the mandated use of the Transducer Ultrasound as a required part of the legislation. Transducer ultrasounds can be performed externally and, more invasive, internally. The choice of whether the doctor performs the ultrasound either internally or externally is not the choice of the pregnant women, but rather the choice of the doctor. This is not a decision that should be made by anyone other than the effected women.

This bill, led primarily by Republicans, is clearly another politically motivated attack on women and has nothing to do with a woman's right to receive medical information. This bill does nothing positive for women and families. There are important issues that need to be addressed. Schools are underfunded, our roads and transportation are in shambles and yet our representatives in Harrisburg think requiring women to be subjected to unnecessary medical procedures and dictating the angle of a computer monitor is not only relevant but worthy of discussion and votes. This is a personal issue and not one that focuses on the betterment of Pennsylvania as a whole.

Finally, many ultrasounds are already not covered under health insurance. Many insurance companies will only pay for what they consider to be medically necessary ultrasounds. In spite of the bill making the ultrasound mandatory, it does not designate it as medically necessary, nor could it do so because that is a medical decision, not a political one. Thus, women who may not be able to pay out of pocket for these ultrasounds will now be forced to do so.

This is another prime example of how Harrisburg is broken. Legislators need to focus more on getting Pennsylvanians back to work, lowering property tax burdens and supporting public programs such as education. Personal agendas have no place in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.