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2007 Legislation and Voting Records on Life Issues
The following bills were voted on.
(Click on the title to expand or close its information pane.)
Category of Interest:   Bioethics/Women's Health
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Senators Dyson, Colburn, DeGrange, Greenip, Haines, Harris, Hooper, Middleton, Peters,
Pugh, Stoltzfus, and Stone
Status:
This bill was assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. A hearing took place on
Wednesday, March 14, 2007. It came to a vote on March 29, 2007 and was deemed unfavorable
by a margin of 8-3.
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Description
This bill would prohibit human cloning in the state of Maryland.
Currently, the law does not ban the creation of embryos through cloning,
nor does it ban the implantation of cloned embryos. Instead, it mandates the killing
of cloned human embryos by the 8th week of development.
MDRTL supports this bill and urges citizens to take action. See the
MDRTL Action Alert
Talking Points
The talking points for this bill are many so please
click here for a detailed set of talking points for citizen lobbying.
Voting Records
X represents a vote in support of the MDRTL position
O represents a vote not in support of the MDRTL position
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District
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Senator
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Vote
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1
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George C. Edwards (R)
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X
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8
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Katherine Klausmeier (D)
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O
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9
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Allan H. Kittleman (R)
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X
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10
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Delores G. Kelley (D)
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O
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15
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Rob Garagiola (D)
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O
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24
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Nathaniel Exum (D)
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O
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28
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Thomas McLain Middleton (D)
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O
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30
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John C. Astle (D)
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O
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36
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E.J. Pipkin (R)
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X
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40
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Catherine E. Pugh (D)
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O
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46
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George W. Della, Jr. (D)
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O
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For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
Description
This bill would limit the taxpayer funding of Maryland abortions.
Voting Records
X represents a vote in support of the MDRTL position
O represents a vote not in support of the MDRTL position
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District
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Senator
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Vote
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1
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George C. Edwards (R)
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X
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2
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Donald F. Munson (R)
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X
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3
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Alex X. Mooney (R)
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X
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4
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David R. Brinkley (R)
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X
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5
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Larry E. Haines (R)
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X
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6
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Norman R. Stone, Jr. (D)
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X
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7
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Andy Harris (R)
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X
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8
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Katherine Klausmeier (D)
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O
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9
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Allan H. Kittleman (R)
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X
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10
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Delores G. Kelley (D)
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O
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11
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Bobby A. Zirkin (D)
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O
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12
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Edward J. Kasemeyer (D)
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O
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13
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James N. Robey (D)
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O
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14
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Rona E. Kramer (D)
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O
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15
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Rob Garagiola (D)
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O
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16
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Brian E. Frosh (D)
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O
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17
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Jennie M. Forehand (D)
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O
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18
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Richard S. Madaleno, Jr. (D)
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O
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19
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Mike Lenett (D)
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O
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20
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Jamie Raskin (D)
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O
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21
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Jim Rosapepe (D)
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O
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22
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Paul G. Pinsky (D)
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O
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23
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Douglas J.J. Peters (D)
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X
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24
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Nathaniel Exum (D)
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O
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25
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Ulysses Currie (D)
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O
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26
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Anthony C. Muse (D)
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NV
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27
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Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. (D)
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O
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28
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Thomas McLain Middleton (D)
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X
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29
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Roy Dyson (D)
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X
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30
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John C. Astle (D)
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O
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31
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Bryan W. Simonaire (R)
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X
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32
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James Ed DeGrange, Sr.(D)
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X
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33
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Janet Greenip (R)
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X
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34
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Nancy Jacobs (R)
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X
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35
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J. Robert Hooper (R)
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X
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36
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E.J. Pipkin (R)
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O
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37
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Richard F. Colburn (R)
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X
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38
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J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R)
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X
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39
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Patrick J. Hogan (D)
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X
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40
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Catherine E. Pugh (D)
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O
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41
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Lisa Gladden (D)
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O
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42
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Jim Brochin (D)
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O
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43
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Joan Carter Conway (D)
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O
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44
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Verna Jones (D)
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O
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45
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Nathaniel J. McFadden (D)
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O
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46
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George W. Della, Jr. (D)
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O
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47
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Gwen Britt (D)
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O
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The following bills were not voted on.
(Click on the title to expand or close its information pane.)
Category of Interest:   Bioethics/Women's Health
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Senate Sponsors: Senators Harris, Colburn, DeGrange, Dyson, Greenip, Hooper, and
Stone
House Sponsors: Delegates McComas, Eckardt, Frank, Haddaway, and Kach
Status:
This bill was assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. A hearing took place on
Wednesday, March 14, 2007. This bill was never voted on.
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Description
Each time a human clone is created, the use of an oocyte (female germ cell, or egg)
is necessary. DNA obtained from the person "to-be-cloned" is fused with a woman's
germ cell, and the clone is then created. This bill would prohibit the donation
of oocytes for research purposes. This bill is complementary to SB362, since it
will prohibit obtaining half of the means for human cloning.
MDRTL supports this bill because it would make human cloning more difficult in Maryland
and it would protect women from exploitation. The safety of egg retrieval, however,
is not entirely known, and the drugs used to stimulate egg production may affect
women's health negatively. Research should not come at the price of women's health.
NOTE: This bill would not prohibit donating oocytes for reproductive purposes (i.e.,
for in-vitro fertilization), only for research purposes.
Talking Points
This law would make human cloning more difficult in Maryland, and of equal importance,
it would protect women from exploitation. Currently, women are often financially
compensated for donating their eggs for research. The safety of egg retreival, however,
is not entirely known. The effects of drugs used to isolate the eggs are still being
tracked, but there is evidence that the drugs affect women's health negatively.
This bill would not prohibit donating oocytes for reproductive purposes (i.e., for
in-vitro fertilization), but it would prohibit egg donation for research purposes.
Research should not come at the price of women's health.
For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
Category of Interest:   Bioethics/Women's Health
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Senate Sponsors: Senators Jacobs, DeGrange, Dyson, and Stone
House Sponsors: Delegates McComas, Anderson, Bates, Burns, Eckardt, Frank, Haddaway,
Kach, Myers, Oaks, Robinson, Sophocleus, and Wood
Status:
This bill was assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. A hearing took place on
Wednesday, March 14, 2007. This bill was never voted on.
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Description
This bill would prohibit women who donate oocytes (eggs) from receiving compensation
beyond direct expenses incurred for the donation. This bill would also require that
the medical history of an oocyte donor be made available to both the child created
by the oocyte and the legal parents of the child created by the oocyte.
MDRTL support this bill, which is intended to safeguard women’s health and prevent
exploitation of vulnerable women who may be tempted to place their economic needs
above their physical welfare. (At present, women are receiving an average of $5,000
for egg donation.) Additionally, the bill provides for egg donors' medical records
to be made available to their offspring.
Talking Points
Since the oocyte donation process poses risks to women's health, this bill is designed
to remove incentives for women to place their economic needs above their physical
welfare. At present, women are receiving thousands of dollars in compensation for
egg donation (on average $5,000), a process which may affect their future fertility.
If we remove incentives, we will remove the exploitation of low-income women and
place a safeguard on their reproductive health. Additionally, the bill has a provision
that mandates the availability of donors' medical records to their offspring. This
will ensure that women who donate are healthy, and that offspring will have a way
to monitor their genetic background for health purposes.
For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
Category of Interest:   Life Affirming Pregnancy Options
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Senate Sponsors: Senators Raskin, Forehand, Jacobs, Kittleman, Lenett, Madaleno,
McFadden, Peters, Robey, and Simonaire
House Sponsors: Delegates Dumais, Ali, Barnes, Barve, Benson, Bobo, Bronrott, Doory,
Feldman, Frush, Gaines, Gilchrist, Gutierrez, Guzzone, Haddawy, Hecht, Hucker, Ivey,
Jones, Kaiser, N.King, Kramer, Krysiak, Kullen, Lawton, Lee, Manno, McComas, McIntosh,
Mizeur, Montgomery, Nathan-Pulliam, Oaks, Pena-Melnyk, Rice, Schuler, Shank, Shewell,
Simmons, and Smigiel
Status:
Assigned to Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. A hearing took place at 1pm on
February 22, 2007. The bill was deemed favorable with amendments by the Senate.
It was never brought to a vote in the House Judiciary Committee.
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Description
This bill would deny paternal rights to sexual offenders if a child is conceived
at the time of the sexual offense, but would require the sexual offender to pay
child support for a child who is the product of the rape, should a woman choose
parenthood.
MDRTL supports this bill because it would remove traumatic paternity obstacles that
women who conceive as the result of rape currently face. Under current Maryland
law, rapists retain full paternal rights (i.e., visitation) of children conceived
in rape and their victims must endure grueling legal battles if they wish to terminate
these rights. A rape victim must obtain consent from her rapist for example, to
place a child conceived at the time of the rape up for adoption. This bill would
provide support to pregnant rape victims who choose childbirth by removing a rapist’s
parental rights. This bill will remove a significant burden that might compel a
victim to choose abortion against her own wishes for fear of her rapist. No woman
should feel forced to choose abortion for fear of her safety or that of her child.
Talking Points
Women who choose childbirth when rape results in a pregnancy should be able to do
so without fearing the rapist’s involvement in decisions regarding the child’s welfare.
These women need care and support, not the additional stress and burden of a rapist’s
paternity rights.
For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
Category of Interest:   Bioethics
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Senators Harris and Greenip
Status:
This bill was assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. A hearing took place on
Wednesday, March 14, 2007. This bill was never voted on.
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Description
This bill would require that abstracts of all funding proposals considered by the
Stem Cell Research Commission be made public prior to the announcement of grant
recipients.
Currently, the public does not have access to any information regarding the research
proposals placed before the commission. Information about successful proposals will
only be released after awards are made. This bill would change this policy. MDRTL
supports this bill because we believe the needs of the public are best served if
funding decisions are made objectively. The public has the right to know general
details of proposals under consideration before the awards are made.
Talking Points
Public interest groups such as MDRTL need to be able to monitor the proposals placed
before the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission and to scrutinize funding decisions.
The needs of the public are best served if funding decisions are made objectively.
The Stem Cell Research Commission serves the public good and should not operate
in secret. In any case, the the public has the right to know the details of proposals
under consideration prior to the time awards are made.
For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
Category of Interest:   Bioethics
MDRTL Position:         Support
Sponsors:
Delegates McComas, Anderson, Bartlett, Burns, Costa, DeBoy, Dwyer, Eckardt, Elliot,
Frank, George, Haddaway, McConkey, Myers, Oaks, Shewell, Smigiel, Sossi, Stocksdale,
Taylor, Walkup, and Wood
Status:
This bill was assigned to the House Committee on Health and Government Operations.
A hearing took place on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 1 pm. The bill was never voted
on.
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Description
This bill would make it a crime to create a "hybrid" that is genetically part human,
and part non-human. MDRTL supports this bill. The creation of a being who is part
human and part non-human is both unethical and dangerous, but it is scientifically
possible. In this age of emerging biotechnologies, it is crucial that we set ethical
boundaries before science gets ahead of us.
Talking Points
In this age of emerging biotechnologies, it is crucial that we set ethical boundaries
before science gets ahead of us. The creation of a being who is part human and part
non-human is scientifically possible NOW, therefore it is vital that this legislation
be enacted into law as soon as possible.
For more information contact:
Cathy McLeod,
Legislative Liaison, Maryland Right to Life
410-269-6397, cathy@mdrtl.org
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