VA law maker needs to be trashed

From: Uncle Ernie <issues_alibis@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 02:00:55 -0000
Subject: [Thieves_in_High_Places] Here's this week's rant...
To: 
==Thieves in High Places @yahoogroups.com==
By Ernest Stewart 
 
First up this week is Virginia Delegate John Cosgrove (R-78) 
 and his bright idea. John also wins this weeks Vidkun Quisling 
 Award! Why he you might ask and who is this obscure politician 
 of which you speak? And pray what has he done to earn such 
 distinction and dishonor? Good questions all! John is really just 
 a nobody from Virginia. A Rethuglican legislator who having 
 nothing better to do decided to pry into peoples most private 
 lives. Prying when a woman might be at her most vulnerable 
 position after having just miscarried a wanted child or one so 
 early in development she isn't even aware of it and sending her 
 up the river to one of the new Happy Camps(tm) for a year if she 
 doesn't stop her crying, mourning and such and turn herself over 
 to the tender mercies of the police to report her crime within 12 
 hours. And the penalty for not leaving your death bed and turning 
 yourself in is a $2,500.00 fine and who knows maybe a year 
 building rockets in an underground Happy Camp.(tm) Could 
 somebody remind me again why Lincoln didn't let Virginia go 
 when they seceded from the union? 
 
 This little crime against humanity is called: 
 
 "HB1677, "Report of Fetal Death by mother, penalty" 
 
 The Bill: 
 
 "When a fetal death occurs without medical attendance, it shall 
 be the woman's responsibility to report the death to the 
 law-enforcement agency in the jurisdiction of which the delivery 
 occurs within 12 hours after the delivery. A violation of this 
 section shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor." 
 
 Some comments I've heard are, 
 
 "The Most Odious Infringement on the Privacy of Virginia 
 women...ever! 
 
 "Delegate Cosgrove's bill is an outrageous attack on the privacy 
 of Virginia women." 
 
 It's another in the long line Rethuglican attacks on women's 
 rights and a hideous omen of things that are to come ladies! 
 Remember there is no law mandating that a woman must report 
 a pregnancy to the state of Virginia or that she evens has to see 
 a doctor and yet this bill proposes that a woman report a 
 miscarriage of a pregnancy to the state of Virginia, whatever the 
 gestational age of the embryo/fetus with 12 hours. And then 
 answer these questions from some smirking Jack-booted thug! 
 
 The Bill requires the following items reported for spontaneous 
 fetal deaths: 
 
 * Place of occurrence 
 * Usual residence of patient (mother) 
 * Full maiden name of patient
 * Medical record number and social security number of patient 
 * Hispanic origin, if any, and race of patient 
 * Age of patient 
 * Education of patient 
 * Sex of fetus 
 * Patient married to father 
 * Previous deliveries to patient 
 * Single or plural delivery and order of plural delivery 
 * Date of delivery 
 * Date of last normal menses and physician's estimate of 
 gestation 
 * Weight of fetus in grams 
 * Month of pregnancy care began (sic) 
 * Number of prenatal visits 
 * When fetus died 
 * Congenital malformations, if any 
 * Events of labor and delivery 
 * Medical history for this pregnancy 
 * Other history for this pregnancy 
 * Obstetric procedures and method of delivery 
 * Autopsy 
 * Medical certification of cause of spontaneous fetal death 
 * Signature of attending physician or medical examiner including 
 title, address and date signed method of disposal of fetus 
 * Signature and address of funeral director or hospital 
 representative 
 * Date received by registrar 
 * Registrar's signature 
 * Registration area and report numbers. 
 
 If you, like John, have some free time on your hands, you might 
 want to send him your thoughts on the subject at: 
 Del_Cosgrove@house.state.va.us And tell'em Uncle Ernie sent 
 you! 
 
 http://www.issuesandalibis.org/