A Statement from Center for Arizona Policy President,

Cathi Herrod, Esq.

Every baby deserves a chance at life. SB 1600 ensures all babies receive the care needed to give them that chance by prohibiting infanticide. An infant’s value is not based on his or her life expectancy, and health professionals should not be picking winners and losers.

The Senate’s passage of SB 1600 along party lines tells you everything you need to know about which lawmakers refuse to draw the line before infanticide. The bill ends the inhumane practice known as “slow code,” in which healthcare professionals withhold medical care to babies not expected to live long in order to hasten their death.

Senator Janae Shamp’s bill was carefully crafted to protect babies, parents, and physicians by spelling out commonsense standards. All babies born alive are to be treated with “medically appropriate and reasonable” care. A doctor violates the law if he or she knowingly and intentionally fails to provide such care, and parents can choose to forego further care beyond what is medically appropriate and reasonable. SB 1600 is the least we can do as a civil society to protect the most vulnerable among us from unnecessary and inhumane death.

I am grateful for Senator Shamp’s courage in sponsoring this important bill.