RI GOP Criticizes Senator Lynch Prata for Transferring Abortion Bill

RI GOP Criticizes Senator Lynch Prata for Transferring Abortion Bill

The Rhode Island Republican Party is criticizing Senate Chair Erin Lynch Prata for transferring the abortion bill to Health and Human Services committee on Tuesday.

As GoLocalProv reported, the Senate Committee on Judiciary was poised to vote on the Reproductive Privacy Act (H 5125 Sub B), after the Senate version of the Reproductive Health Care Act fell in committee and members pledged to work on a compromise.

However, a move planned by Republicans to vote in an ex-officio capacity prompted Senate Judiciary Chair Erin Lynch Prata to move to transfer the bill.

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Chairwoman Sue Cienki issued the following statement:

“This is disgraceful. Senator Lynch Prata broke the Senate Rules. Senate Rule 6.14 only permits bills to be transferred “during the reports of committees”. Senate Rule 3.3 makes it clear that the “reports of committees” only occurs on the Senate floor. It does not occur within committee. Chairwoman Lynch Prata’s refusal to recognize Senator Morgan for a debate and vote on the abortion bill because she was transferring the bill violated the Senate Rules. She should have recognized Senator Morgan or any other member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for a motion on the bill. Because the Democratic Senate leadership didn’t have the votes, they broke the rules.

This abortion bill is terrible, and breaking the rules to get it passed is reprehensible. This is just another example of how the so-called pro-life Democratic leadership of the General Assembly will do whatever it takes to get an abortion bill passed. These politicians care more about power for themselves than any issue, even the lives of the unborn. If this bill had been allowed to go to vote in committee yesterday, it would have died. Instead by breaking the rules, this abortion bill lives on and if it becomes law, unborn children will die.”