I wonder what our President would say about this? Is abortion a “necessary, on-demand medical service” or ”elective surgery”. (link):
ACLU Targets Arpaio Over Abortion
Sarah Buduson
Reporter, KPHO.comPOSTED: 8:54 pm MST July 10, 2009
UPDATED: 10:17 am MST July 11, 2009PHOENIX — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is facing another legal battle.
The ACLU filed a motion in Maricopa Superior Court last week to stop the sheriff from requiring inmates who ask for abortions to pay up front for transportation costs to the procedure.
“He can’t ask people to pre-pay to receive these medical services,” ACLU Executive Director Alessandra Solar Meetze said.
The ACLU’s action stems from a December 2008 incident
According to court documents, an inmate known as “Sarah Poe” requested an abortion.
A “Lieutenant informed her she would have to prepay for transportation costs,” the documents said.
Poe was charged $500 before obtaining a ride to a doctor’s office where an abortion was performed.
Meetze said the prepayment requirement violates a woman’s constitutional right to have timely access to an abortion.
“The sheriff has an obligation to follow the law. He cannot pick and choose which laws to follow based on his political agenda,” she said.
The sheriff, who is pro-life, said his prepayment requirement has nothing to do with his personal feelings.
“To say I do this for political reason or person, that’s not true,” Arpaio said.
The sheriff said women who cannot pay the transportation charge up front will still be driven to the procedure.
“Our police that we have been disseminating is that the person will be transported to the abortion clinic,” he said.
However, the sheriff does charge any other inmates for transportation.
I’m a big fan of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. I expect under Obamacare, ambulance services will be provided for abortions, taking precedence over all else.