In March, we asked you to oppose a very bad IVF bill being considered by the Mississippi House. IVF, of course, is a delicate and complicated issue. My heart goes out to couples struggling with infertility. It’s a heavy cross to bear.
Unfortunately, pro-abortion groups are using IVF as a Trojan Horse to undermine pro-life protections in states like Mississippi. They did it in Alabama. They tried to do it in the U.S. Senate. Earlier this year, they tried to do it in Mississippi. Now, they’re back in Mississippi, hoping to undermine our strong pro-life protections.
The Trojan Horse is HB 1542, a bill before the Mississippi legislature. Contact your Mississippi state lawmaker now and demand that they kill, or amend, this bill. Session is about to end. Your calls and emails are urgently needed.
The original bill, before being amended in conference, had to do with the issues that arise if a parent (or donor) of an IVF-created embryo dies before the child is born.
AFA did not take a position on the original version of HB 1542. We do very much oppose the various amendments being discussed in relation to HB 1542. These include:
- Removing a ban on the buying and selling of embryos – that is, human beings. (This ban was in lines 428-430 of the conference report.)
- Allowing selective reduction – that is, abortion.
- Allowing compensation related to the “donation of eggs, sperm and embryos,” without strong safeguards (lines 232-234).
Other states, even radically pro-abortion states like Michigan, have bans on the purchase or sale of human embryos. For Mississippi to allow the buying and selling of human beings as embryos is horrific.
In addition, HB 1542 is seeking to provide blanket immunity for the IVF industry. How is this good for anyone? It certainly doesn’t protect or serve the couples using their life savings to try to have a child. What other industry enjoys such immunity from criminal or civil liability?
HB 1542 is setting a very dangerous precedent for an industry that is already unregulated. It basically sets up a system where there is ZERO Accountability for IVF. Again, how is that good for Mississippi families?
Please contact your Mississippi lawmakers today and ask them to vote NO on anti-life and anti-accountability amendments to HB 1542.
This is exactly how we ended up with legalized abortion before Roe v. Wade. The Left chipped away, looking for exceptions. We can’t let that happen again. IVF providers need to follow Mississippi’s pro-life laws and treat “excess embryos” with respect.
Please contact your state House and Senate lawmakers and ask them to oppose anti-life language in HB 1542.
