Michigan lawmakers are at it again. They just today introduced another vaginal probe bill in the House — HB 4187 of 2013.

At about this time last year, Democracy Tree reported that lawmakers introduced another mandatory ultrasound bill (HB 4433 of 2012) which never emerged from committee –it required clinics to use:

[The]most technologically advanced ultrasound equipment available at that location….capable of providing the most visibly clear image of the gross anatomical development of the fetus and the most audible fetal heartbeat.”

The new bill uses this same language verbatim. Sure, it does not specifically say “vaginal probe” (too crass), but OB-Gyn Dr. Charlene Abernethy reviewed the language last year and found it to effectively require a transvaginal probe. She explained that it’s a given that any facility providing pregnancy terminations will have the necessary equipment to perform a transvaginal ultrasound. The bill removes the decision from the physician as to whether to perform a transvaginal versus a transabdominal (non-invasive) ultrasound, it demands they choose the one that provides the best image — and that’s a vaginal probe. Because this legislation additionally denies the patient the choice, it’s rape. By any other name, it’s still state-sanctioned rape. By law and by definition.

As if the past two years of continual assaults on women’s reproductive rights hasn’t been enough…it’s now damn near impossible to find an abortion provider in Michigan at all — and now this?

Time to do a little probing with these stone age lawmakers as to their qualifications to legislate.

Amy Kerr Hardin This article also appears in Voters Legislative Transparency Project