STATE HOUSE – Augusta, Maine – Over 1,500 Mainers opposing up-until-birth abortion bill LD 1619 gathered at the State House on Monday, May 1st, for a public hearing before the Judiciary Committee. LD 1619 would allow abortion on demand at any time during pregnancy, including in the third trimester, up until birth. The significant in-person response of Mainers taking time from their work and responsibilities to peacefully testify in opposition (675 opposed to 65 in favor) to the bill evidences the majority opinion in a state that values fairness and moderation.
After each proponent for the bill had been permitted two minutes (instead of the customary 3 minutes) to testify in favor of LD 1619, the committee chairs, Senator Anne Carney-D and Representative Matthew Moonen-D, dropped the time allotted for opponents to speak against the bill to one minute. This purely discriminatory move disenfranchised hundreds of Maine citizens trying to participate in the democratic process.
“Hundreds of Mainers stepped up to represent the stance of the majority of her citizenry in tremendous, record-breaking opposition to this extreme legislation,” said Rep. Laurel Libby, founder of Speak Up for LIFE. “These Maine citizens should have been allowed their full opportunity to speak. To amend the time limit mid-hearing was egregious. Why have a public hearing if you aren’t going to listen to the public? This is a shameful failure on the part of the Judiciary Committee.”
The unprecedented and overwhelming opposition to LD 1619 would have presented over 30 hours of testimony, but Democrats refused to allow Maine citizens their due time and cut the hearing down to 19.5 hours. Mainers from over 250 towns traveled to Augusta to testify against the bill to allow late term abortion, expressing the resounding opinion that LD 1619 is too extreme for Maine.
The next step in the legislative process for LD 1619 will be a work session in the Judiciary Committee, likely to be scheduled in the next two weeks.
For more information, please contact Rep. Laurel Libby at 207-632-7619.
###