Statement From Senator Krueger On Fetal Organ Donation Bill

New York – State Senator Liz Krueger, Co-Chair of the 89-member Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, released the following statement today, following the introduction by Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco of a bill (S.6043) to explicitly ban the sale for profit of fetal organs, a practice that is already banned in state and federal law: 

"My respect for Senator DeFrancisco is widely know, but I am very disappointed to see him jump on this extremist anti-choice bandwagon being driven by the most radical elements of the Republican party. By now it is well established that the accusations made against Planned Parenthood are nothing but a straw man manufactured to try to justify yet another attack on women making their own reproductive decisions.  Federal and state laws already prohibit profiting from the sale of fetal tissue; there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Planned Parenthood violated those laws. In fact, Planned Parenthood affiliates in New York State do not even participate in the completely legal and medically vital practice of donating tissue for life-saving research.  This bill is redundant and unnecessary, and it serves only to perpetuate the slander of an organization that has been steadfastly serving women in this country for nearly one hundred years.  Unfortunately, Senator DeFrancisco's actions make clear that more work is needed to safeguard women’s reproductive rights and to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into New York State law."


LINKS:
Times Union, "Bill adds 'fetal' to current organ-sale ban language."
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/240955/bill-adds-fetal-to-current-organ-sale-ban-language/