FEMALELAWMAKERWHOAUTHORED beinganurseanddeliveringbabies... MISSISSIPPI'S ABORTION BAN REVEALS whowouldhavethoughtanursewould haverunforthelegislatureandthen WHAT'SNEXTINA writtenabillandthenourSupreme Courtchanges?”Curriesaidofher surprise. POST-ROEWORLD “Itwasjusttooperfecthowit happenedformetoberesponsiblefor BYSAMANTHAKAMMAN it. SoIthinkthisisGod'swayforsure.” Havingbeenasinglemotheroftwo daughtersthroughoutmuchofher heMississippilawmaker thatsheneverdreamedMississippi’s workinglife,Curriesaidthat T whoauthoredthestate's15- GestationalAgeActwouldmakeits experiencehasenabledherto weekabortionbanupheld waytotheSupremeCourt. empathizewithwomenstrugglingto bytheUnitedStates InthecaseDobbsv.Jackson makeendsmeetbecausethefather SupremeCourt,whichalsooverturned Women'sHealthOrganization,the isn'ttheretohelp.It'salsogivenher Roev.Wade,believeslegislatorsnow courtupheldMississippi'sabortionlaw insightintohowstatesandother havearesponsibilitytoenactpolicies andoverturnedthe1973Roedecision entitiescanbesthelpmothers,which thatsupportwomenandchildren. thatlegalizedabortionnationwide, shedetailedinaninterviewwithCP StateRep.BeckyCurrie,whoworked thusreturningtheauthoritytoregulate thathasbeenlightlyeditedand inlaboranddeliveryearlyoninher abortionbacktoindividualstates. condensed. nursingcareer,toldTheChristianPost “Thiswholething,lookingback, thetalksthatIhaveheard,thatbillwill Howhasyoursupportforbirth childsupportwouldbeginat passthisyear,andwe'regoingto pregnancy. controlbeenreceivedbypro- expandpostpartumcaresixmonthsto SoIliketheideathatthesupport life advocatesinMississippi? ayearafterachildisborn.Rightnow,I wouldbeginatpregnancy.Ithinkthat Currie:Iabsolutelyunderstand.I thinkit's60days. thisisgoingtogetmoremeninvolved wouldlovesomewomentowaituntil Youknow,whenyouhaveababy, inthechild'slifeandhelpthemrealize marriage.I'maChristian.Iwantthat yourlifeisturnedupsidedown.Sowe theresponsibility. tohappen.ButIdo,asanurse,livein wantthatmothertogetbacktothe therealworld.AndIunderstandthat doctorandgetthecarethatsheneeds. CP�Georgiahasreceivedalot we'regoingtohaveissuesifwedon't Shemayhavepostpartumdepression. ofattentionlatelyforapolicy provideit. Thesearejustthingsthatweneedto thatapprovesataxbreakfor besupportiveofourmomsmorethan unbornchildren.Whatareyour weare. CP�Arethereanyfamily- thoughtsonthispolicy,anddo centeredpoliciesgoingonin youseeitcatchingoninpro- CP�Isaccesstobirthcontrol otherstatesthatyou’re life conservativestates? important?Whatpoliciesneed intriguedbythatyouwould tobeenactedtomakesurethat wanttoseedonein Currie:Ido.Ithinkthatwearetrying tocuttaxeshereinMississippi.We birthcontrolismoreaccessible Mississippi? justdidthelargesttaxcutin andaffordableforwomen? Currie:Wearewatchingthewhole Mississippithispastyear. Currie:It’ssomethingwehavetodo, thing.Ihaveseveralbillsaboutthe Iknowthatwealsogiveataxbreak andifwedon'tdoit,thenourother healthdepartment;Ihaveseveralbills if yougivetocrisispregnancycenters. systemswillbeoverrun. aboutchildsupport.Oneofthebills Wearelookingateverykindoftaxto thatIactuallygotfromoursenator, seewhatwecandoinapost-Roeworld CindyHyde-Smith,shefiledthebillin CP�Notallpro-lifersseemto tomakelifebetterforwomenand theSenate,whichintriguesmethat agreeonthebirthcontrolissue. children.Soeverythingisonthetable. Christianpost.com 25