Page 6 - ATODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 13 december 2016

Lawsuit challenges new Texas rules over fetal remains

WILL WEISSERT lenges. 40 in 2012. They would re-
Associated Press Texas officials have de- quire fetal remains from
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Advo- nied that their new require- miscarriages and abortions,
cacy groups filed a lawsuit ments are meant to shame regardless of the state of
Monday seeking to prevent women who get abortions gestation, to be treated like
Texas from requiring hospi- or make things harder on those of a deceased per-
tals and abortion clinics to abortion providers. In re- son by having them buried
bury or cremate fetal re- sponse to the more than or cremated. Cremated re-
mains rather than disposing 35,000 public comments mains would still have to be
of them in a sanitary landfill, it received about the pro- buried or scattered.
as they most often currently posed rule changes, the Remains are currently most
do with such remains and health department wrote often disposed of in sani-
other biological medical it “believes the methods tary landfills, and that cost
waste. allowed by the rules will is included in the price of
The lawsuit filed in a federal protect the public by pre- getting an abortion or oth-
court in Austin by the Cen- Abortion rights advocates, left, protest in the State Capitol as venting the spread of dis- erwise undergoing treat-
ter for Reproductive Rights anti-abortion rights supporters pass them in Austin, Texas. Ad- ease while also preserving ment for a terminated
and other groups contends vocacy groups filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to prevent Texas the dignity of the unborn in pregnancy.
that the rules set to take ef- from requiring hospitals and abortion clinics to bury or cremate a manner consistent with Critics say cremation, and
fect next Monday serve no fetal remains rather than disposing of them in a sanitary landfill, Texas laws.” especially burial, would
medical purpose and are (AP Photo/Tamir Kalif) The new rules were pro- cost more and force wom-
meant to shame women Northup, the Center for woman for Texas’ Health posed to the health com- en to have to cover the ad-
who seek abortions and Reproductive Right’s presi- and Human Services Com- mission at the behest of ditional expenses.
make it harder for doctors dent, said on a conference mission, said the agency is Republican Gov. Greg Ab- Mandating burial or crema-
to provide them. call. “Women do not want reviewing the lawsuit and bott in July, just days after tion “imposes a funeral ritu-
“Texas has failed to provide these laws. Doctors do not will respond “at the ap- the U.S. Supreme Court al on women who have a
any credible evidence want these laws. And the propriate time.” Louisiana struck down anti-abortion miscarriage management
of what health benefit Constitution does not allow and Indiana have similar laws that would have left procedure, ectopic preg-
this might serve because them.” requirements, but they are Texas with 10 abortion clin- nancy surgery, or an abor-
there aren’t any,” Nancy Carrie Williams, a spokes- on hold due to court chal- ics, down from more than tion,” the lawsuit argues. q

Ohio inmate loses appeal to block 2nd attempt at execution

ANDREW HUGGINS and double jeopardy. 14-year-old Tryna Middle- supply of lethal injection unique opportunity was not
Associated Press Broom, 60, is only the sec- ton after abducting her in drugs. accepted for review by the
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — ond inmate to survive an Cleveland in 1984 as she Broom’s lawyer called court.”
The U.S. Supreme Court on execution in U.S. history walked home from a foot- the court’s decision a Ohioans to Stop Execu-
Monday rejected an ap- and the only via lethal in- ball game with two friends. missed opportunity. Previ- tions, the state’s largest an-
peal by a condemned killer jection. In 1947, Louisiana Justices Stephen Breyer ous lawsuits alleging that ti-death penalty organiza-
whose 2009 execution was electrocuted 18-year-old and Elena Kagan said a botched execution vio- tion, renewed its call for Re-
called off after two hours Willie Francis by electric they would have granted lated an inmate’s rights publican Gov. John Kasich
during which he cried in chair a year after an im- Broom’s appeal, with Brey- involved prisoners who ulti- to grant Broom clemency.
pain while receiving 18 properly prepared electric er saying the execution mately died, said attorney The only cruel and unusu-
needle sticks. chair failed to work. attempt took place under Adele Shank. al punishment in Broom’s
The court’s 6-2 ruling denies The U.S. Supreme Court “especially cruel and un- “Here the court had the case is what he inflicted on
Romell Broom the oppor- ruled 5-4 to allow the sec- usual circumstances.” opportunity to address a his victim’s family through
tunity to argue that giving ond execution to proceed, Despite the ruling, a sec- case where there was a the loss of their daughter
the state prisons agency a rejecting double jeopardy ond execution is years living person there to vin- and decades of “frivolous
second chance to execute arguments. away because of other dicate their constitutional appeals,” said Cuyahoga
him would amount to cruel Broom was sentenced to scheduled executions and rights,” Shank said. “So it’s County Prosecutor Tim
and unusual punishment die for raping and killing uncertainty over the state’s very disappointing that this McGinty.q