January 25, 2023
By Cindy Alia
Constitutional Abortion, can we value liberty and not value life?
SR 8202, Amending the Constitution to address reproductive freedom is objected to and should not be passed. It is the opposite of the objectives to our State Constitution which explicitly professes, protects, and expands upon our God Given natural rights. The words of the constitution expand upon positive rights and provides the citizens of this state with protection of those rights, they do not explicitly condone the taking of innocent lives. To enter into our constitution a guarantee of the taking of innocent lives is wrong and is in itself unconstitutional.
There is in this proposal a first step toward the dehumanization of citizens in this state, something that has never been done. If this governor, and all the bill sponsors are willing to denigrate the value of human life, it should be done in bill form as statute and that statute should comport to the spirit of the constitution. "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Section 32 requires “A frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential to the security of individual right and the perpetuity of free government." The governor's proposed constitutional amendment ignores the fundamental principles of Our State Constitution and should not be passed.
Even though abortion is legal in Washington state, and has been since 1970, as evidenced by this latest bill passed in 2022, https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/1851.SL.pdf?cite=2022%20c%2065%20%C2%A7%202 governor Inslee and these State senators Keiser, Kuderer, Conway, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Liias, Nguyen, Pedersen, Rolfes, Salomon, Stanford, Valdez, Van De Wege, Wilson, Claire, and these State representatives Gregerson, Farivar, Senn, Reeves, Walen, Peterson, Ortiz-Self, Ormsby, Kloba, Berry, Bateman, Riccelli, Fitzgibbon, Lekanoff, Chapman, Slatter, Reed, Alvarado, Pollet, Taylor, Springer, Morgan, Fey, Street, Ramel, Goodman, Bergquist, Bronoske, Fosse, Tharinger, Macri, Chopp, Stonier, Santos, Simmons are all willing to do the governors bidding in drafting and presenting this law SJR 8202 and its companion bill, HJR 4201 to include in our State Constitution the right to abortion.
This is being done to usurp the will of the people and to assuage the fear of the left that future legislation or initiative could change the law in Washington state, by right the power held by the people of the state. By placing into the constitution these negative rights, the legislature today intends to make it more difficult for the people to express their will in government. This is a concept and a ploy that will nullify the positive effect of a representative republic and replace the concept of separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judiciary at greater risk by placing the will of the people in the hands of the court under the questionable motives of political theatre and a dangerous dance to weaken constitutionally protected positive rights.
It should always be a grave consideration to amend the constitution and all things legislative should remain legislative. This bill, if passed, will see the bill placed on the ballot at the next general election, election integrity matters.
We will follow the progress of this bill and will keep track of the votes on this bill so you can be sure about your senator’s and representative’s vote on the bill.
Will we accept the double speak and minimalization of door dash death?
HB 1281 Increasing access to the provisions of the Washington death with dignity act and its companion bill SB 5179 sponsored by State representatives Rude, Peterson, Harris, Macri, Riccelli, Stonier, Fitzgibbon, Senn, Simmons, Tharinger, Kloba, Reeves, Reed, Walen, Gregerson, Ormsby, Bateman, Doglio, Alvarado, Ramel, Santos, Pollet, and State senators Pedersen, King, Cleveland, Dhingra, Frame, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, Mullet, Nobles, Robinson, Saldaña, Stanford, Valdez, Van De Wege, Wellman, Wilson, Claire is a sad attempt to undermine the principles voters initially agreed to when originally passing the initiative in 2009.
With this bill thoughtful consideration and careful safeguards regarding safety and compassion are nullified. Voters in Washington state have been liberal about laws governing behavior in attitudes about life and the perfidious tampering with the will of voters displayed by legislators and the governor in these bills should be rejected. Previously agreed upon safety provisions have been replaced with careless language making the taking of an adult life dangerously easier. A physician is no longer needed, only a "qualified medical provider".
Increasing access to death in this bill is as simple as ordering dinner delivered with minimal support and supervision resulting in a mistitling of the bill…it should be called the door dash death bill. The bill simplifies methods for deciding if death was a decision that should be made by easing who could help make that determination, shortened the waiting period for implementing that decision, and made it easier to procure and use the deadly medication by simplifying the methods of delivery even to the extent of allowing for it to be sent to your home by a delivery service. Clearly the misleading title of the bill represented the careless regard of life that is held by some legislators, increased the danger of the misuse of deadly drugs, and allowed for the removal of protections voters hinged their vote upon, believing their vote represented a scenario that was both careful and compassionate.
We are to have courage in what we say and do about the expectations of the sanctity of life and its value to society and humanity not only through the productive years of life but also at the treasured very beginnings and endings of life. If we do not live in a state where those times of life are respected, we can hardly indulge in the notion that respect for liberty will exist and continue into the future.
January 25, 2023