Gov. Corbett's Response To Controversial Bill Causes Outrage
By Chelsea Karnash and Jericka Duncan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A clip on YouTube in which Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett comments on a controversial bill, is getting a lot of attention. Earlier this week the Governor responded to a reporter about legislation that would mandate ultrasounds for women seeking abortions. When the reporter asked if Corbett thought the proposed bill went too far, the Governor responded by saying in part; "I don't know how you make anybody watch," he said. "You just have to close your eyes as long as it's on the exterior, not interior."
"That's crazy that he would say something like that but I totally disagree with it," said Anthony Grant of West Philadelphia.
Ashley Kuhn had a baby 9 months ago and says she does not support the ultrasound bill.
"I feel like women, especially today, know what a baby, what an embryo, what a fetus is," said Kuhn. "They don't need to be bullied into a really sensitive situation."
At Fetal Vision in Langhorne, couples pay an upwards of $100 for special ultrasounds that can show a fetus in 3D, as early as 16 weeks. The owners of the facility, John and Sherry Hamburg, believe women should be forced to see ultrasound images before terminating a pregnancy.
"I personally would like to see it mandatory," said Sherry Hamburg. "I don't think mom's actually grasp that there is a living baby."
Now, many are expressing outrage in response to the Governor's statement, including Democrats.
On www.murphyforpa.com, a site dedicated to Pat Murphy's campaign for Attorney General, visitors are encouraged to sign a petition "to show Gov. Corbett and the rest of the far right how wrong they are."
And various social media venues like Twitter and Facebook have been flooded with comments on the governor's statement.
The bill at the heart of the controversy was recently proposed in Harrisburg and would require women to undergo a state-mandated ultrasound at least 24 hours prior to receiving abortion care.
Last week in Virginia, Republican lawmakers signed a bill that would require an external sonogram for any woman seeking an abortion into law, sparking a national uproar.
