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Utah House debates banning public funding for abortion; sponsors cite "health" loophole and statistical gaps
Summary
Lawmakers debated House Bill 123, which would prohibit state or indirect public funding for abortions, with sponsors arguing a broad 'health' exception in state code has been interpreted so widely it functions as a loophole; members later voted to 'circle' the bill for further work.
Representative Philpott, sponsor of House Bill 123, urged colleagues to adopt a policy prohibiting public funding of abortion, arguing the state code’s broad health exception has been interpreted so broadly that it permits thousands of therapeutic abortions. "If you look at 76-7-302 ... in the professional judgment of the pregnant woman's attending physician to prevent grave damage to the pregnant woman's medical health," Philpott said, adding, "Health is the grand loophole in current judicial actions on abortion." He cited "over 3,200" abortions per year in Utah and said that AP statistics (02/2001) indicate most are elective; he acknowledged he had not obtained an official, disaggregated breakdown from insurers or the University of Utah.
Philpott said the measure does not attempt to make abortion…
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