When is this guy up for reelection?

For what reason? Make more money for local , non tax paying( in providence) hospitals? Why can't male polititians leave well alone when it comes to the health of women.

And what would be the consequence for the fathers of these fetus' ? Anything in there for them?

Good point T., will fathers be required to see and hear the results of the forced ultrasound? or are they looking again, as usual to only punish women for an unwanted/accidental pregnancy?

What happened to privacy and a personal life?

This is a disgusting interference into a private matter for women. The goverment has no business forciing this awful test on anyone. The sonogram that is required to see a fetus is one that inserts a "wand" into the vagina. I had it for a different reason. The test is painful and embarrassing. It was decades ago but I will never forget what an awful experianced it was. Please do not let this bill pass.

This kid needs to stop intimidating and bullying our women!

This guy is a republican? just when I started to like the guy he comes out with this crapola. let people make there own decisions. Leave government out. If tax money will used for any funding...NO

It should be required. The mother and the father need to see the human life they have created. It is not a blob of tissue. Seeing the fetus is often stunning enough to save the life of the child.

This seems to me to be a totally unethical use of a medical procedure for nonmedical purposes...an attempt to emotionally blackmail someone! There are a miriad of reasons someone might choose an abortion...and this is a disgusting over the top ploy to force people to go thru an ultrasound...it is irrelevant! Would you also force a woman to view the result if she chooses not to?!! What, Suzannek, are you talking about re botched abortions? That, as far as I know, was an issue pre legalization. I don't think those words go together in the present day. Thank goodness! Dan, hoping you are ready to say goodbye to your legislative life.

Here is Reilly's email address for anyone that wants to let him know directly their feelings about this bill.

rep-reilly@rilin.state.ri.us

When the men start having the babies they can make their own decision..in the meantime don't make a judgment until you walk a mile in the womens shoes..

Suzannek, vaginal ultrasounds are certainly used in early pregnancy as well as on women who are heavy or have a tipped uterus.

Beth Maroney, your political views should not infringe upon the rights of another. No matter how you feel about the life status of an embryo, abortion is legal. This ultrasound bill amounts to nothing more than a sad attempt at legislative guilt-tripping.

How about let's focus our efforts on bringing our troops home? On ending hunger? On taking care of the millions of living, breathing human beings who suffer every day? You folks want people to bring more babies into the world, and in the same breath complain about how much tax money goes into the food stamp program. You can't have it both ways.

Skwer you are on spot. Also, in some cases teenage girls have babies for the government subsides, not to mention the fact that a boys parents often have to help support these children until he is capable of doing so himself. Sometimes pregnacies are not aborted because of lofty feelings to save a life, but sadly to create a commodity.. These so called wanted children are the ones that often pay the price of poor parenting and the reason there is a "family" of children by different fathers.

Women also have abortions for other reasons like fetal anomalies...not just because they don't want the baby or are a teen mom. This is not an easy, half-hearted decision and it already involves multiple tests and ultrasounds. Is it really necessary to put the mother through yet another heart breaking procedure?

I think men should be required to have rectal exams before being prescribed viagra! Seriously folks, Republicans have once again shown what hypocrites they are. How can they preach about individual freedoms and be pro-death penalty yet anti-abotrion? Planned Parenthood provides counceling to those considering abortion, and the decision to abort an early fetus is no doubt the most difficult made by a woman. Often, it involves the knowledge that the mother will be unable to care for the child, either financially or emotionally. Rep. Reilly is promoting a level funded budget. He irresponsibly choses to disregard the ramifications involved in forcing women to give birth to lives that will face many hardships.

Ms. Zitka,
Before you start trashing Republicans ("Republicans have once again shown what hypocrites they are."), maybe you should do a little research. The PRIME sponsor of this bill is a WOMAN, DEMOCRAT, yes DEMOCRAT WOMAN, Rep. Karen MacBeth. But thats ok, don't let facts get in your way.

Let me get this straight. Our roads are and bridges are falling apart. Our statewide pension system is going to be the albatross that pulls us all down. Taxes are going through the roof. And our state economy is 3 to 4 years away from recovery.

But this is our Reps. agenda? They all need to be voted out.

We like to paint the world with broad strokes, especially those in "power" who have perhaps not had the opportunity to live life with the type of fullness that includes poverty, ignorance due to illiteracy or poor parenting and education, victims of sexual assault by a stranger or family member, or extreme peer pressure due to low self esteem that makes a girl feel as though she is nothing if she doesn't give herself sexually to a boy who is demanding without the use of contraception because "it doesn't feel as good"- with promises of love. These aren't just movies, these situations are real, perhaps not widespread in Portsmouth but certainly exist in Rhode Island. Asking these girls or women to be "legislated" with even more extra guilt and remorse into their decision is sealing a much larger and damaging psychological burden. There would be no purpose to call out the findings of an ultrasound to a woman who has made a decision. Proper clinics counsel their patients prior to the procedure and many give them 24 hours to realize their decision to be certain they are comfortable prior to procedure. Politicians need not be in my exam room. BTW I came from a city where the teen girl live birth rate was 90%, a healthy percent born into the situations above NOT put up for adoption. A right to choose is just that, since you can't legislate the time life truly begins you should not be legislating to make a woman (or girl) feel victimized at her doctors office.

Thank you AJMW for stating so clearly the realities of the teens and women who find themselves considering abortion. My comment on this being a Republican agenda item is based on fact, just look at what's happening nationally. This particular bill was brought forth by a women with an agenda. She didn't feel Planned Parenthood provided her with the information she was seeking at the time of her unexpected pregnancy. However, she, along with her fellow supporters, don't represent the philosophy of the Democratic party. Lastly, the proposed ultrasound requirement is deeply flawed in that SEX CAN'T BE DETERMINED UNTIL THE 18TH TO 20TH WEEK OF PREGANACY. Most women have abortions well before that time frame. What's next? Vaginal probes?

Ms. Zitka,
This bill (we are talking this bill in RI, not nationally) was drafted by a democrat and co-sponsored by 3 additional democrats and 1 rebublican, so please spare me the "Republican agenda" nonsense.

Anti-abortion is for the most part a Republican talking point. On many occasions you will see Democrats, usually Catholic Democrats, that will side with the Republicans on this issue, but for the most part it is a Republican agenda item. The pre abortion ultrasound bill is a deterrent to abortion. The Republicans care about you from conception until birth and then, sorry pal you are on your own. Just so happens Rhode Island has a heavy Catholic constituency as well as many Catholics in the Assembly, that is why there are several Democrats proposing the bill. Mr. Reilly I am afraid has shot himself in the foot over what should be a decision made by a woman and her Doctor, especially when there is a disinterested father who will not be there come time to support the mother and child.

Here is the bill on the state level: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/billtext12/housetext12/h7205.pdf

Here is the bill on the national level:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr3805ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr3805ih.pdf

I agree with J. Lane; this should not even be on the radar. However, if we must take up this issue it should be done by statewide referendum, and not by the general assy. Also, if it passes, I would expect a high court challenge. Both a waste of resources in my opinion.

Information as to what a fetus looks like at a particular week of pregnancy is available- even in video format. There is no need to do an ultrasound to provide this information to a person considering an abortion.

I don't understand the problem with furnishing patients with more information?
Ultrasounds are already conducted by abortionists on a regular basis, you can refer to today's article in the Journal where an abortionist. People not only from the pro-life side, but spokespeople from Planned Parenthood as well as abortionist Dr. Pablo Rodriguez in today's Journal have said the exact same thing. They are already a commonplace part of the abortion process. Turning the monitor so the mother can see what is occurring in her womb seems like a piece of truth that the women deserve to see. The whole focus of the pro-abortion side is "choice", correct me if I'm wrong but choice should be furnished with truth, not ignorance. Just as Rep. Karen L. Macbeth stated, the bill is "pro-information", not anti-women or pro-rape as some zealots have wrongly and obnoxiously called it.