House Health Committee Chairman: Senate's abortion-related bills redundant

Republican lawmakers have said 2013 could be the year to get abortion-related bills through the House considering Democrats’ shrunken majority. But the House Health and Welfare Committee chairman said he doesn’t see it happening.

That committee has served as legislative flypaper for previous abortion-related bills, such as those requiring women seeking abortions to get an ultrasound before the procedure. Even though the committee is more narrowly divided than ever — eight Democrats to seven Republicans — its chairman, Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said he doesn’t expect Senate bills 4 and 5 could pass through it.

Burch also said there’s no guarantee that his committee will receive that Senate bills requiring face-to-face meetings between a woman seeking an abortion and a physician or social worker, as well as the ultrasound bill.

Burch said what the bills require already are being done in abortion clinics.

“Most of the people have not been to abortion clinics … Everything they’re asking for in these bills are already being done,” he said. Here’s that segment of the interview with Burch: