Ga. Democrat Introduces Bill to Ban Vasectomies

Yasmin Neal pushes tongue-in-cheek rule to parody anti-abortion legislation
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2012 1:14 PM CST

Georgia state Rep. Yasmin Neal introduced a tongue-in-cheek bill today that would ban all vasectomies in the state, except when medically necessary. "It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly," the bill reads. The bill comes as Georgia's legislature is considering banning abortions for women after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

"It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men," Neal's bill asserts. Of course, Neal tells CNN, she doesn't actually oppose vasectomies; she's just making a point. Her bill cribs some language directly from the abortion bill. "If we legislate women's bodies, it's only fair that we legislate men's," she reasons. But the abortion bill's author chided Democrats for not taking the abortion debate seriously, calling it "a poor attempt at humor." (More Georgia stories.)

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