Doctors express opposition to Born Alive bill | State

HELENA, Mont. – Doctor William Gallea, an emergency physician and former president of the Montana Medical Association expressed his opposition to LR-131, also referred to as the Born Alive bill.

“Montana’s healthcare providers should not face 20 years in prison for providing quality care,” Gallea said.

The bill states that infants born alive at any stage of development are legal persons, and would require medical care to be provided to infants born alive after an induced labor, cesarean section, attempted abortion or other method.

It would also establish a fifty thousand dollar fine and/or up to twenty years in prison as a maximum penalty for violating the law.

Health care providers from the Montana Medical Association, Montana Hospital Association, Montana Nurses Association, Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other Montana health care leaders spoke out against LR-131 at a press event Thursday.

The measure was sponsored in the state legislature by Republican state representative Matt Regier.

“We need to make it abundantly clear that here in Montana, the protection of all life is available. … I believe this decision should be made by not just us here at the capitol but by the voters back home,” Regier said.

An opponent of the measure, representative Kathy Kelker says, “this one size fits all legislated standard of care not only interferes with medical practice… But denies physicians the ability to provide care that is necessary, compassionate and appropriate to an individual woman’s circumstances.”

Her sentiment is shared by Doctor William Gallea, who also argued Thursday that the bill is unnecessary and violates the privacy of patients and doctors.

No Byline Policy

Editorial Guidelines

Corrections Policy

Source