Jon Huntsman on Abortion Republican UT Governor

Supports a right to life amendment

"I do support a right to life amendment," replied Huntsman.

No truce on abortion; don't trade life for economic life

Saying he "supported and signed every pro-life bill" he received, he talked about how he signed a trio of pro-life bills in February 2009 that the Utah legislature approved. Hunstman told the crowd, "I signed the bill that made second-trimester abortions illegal, and increased the penalty for doing so. I signed the bill to allow women to know the pain an abortion causes an unborn child. I signed the bill requiring parental permission for abortion. I signed the bill that would trigger a ban on abortions in Utah if Roe v. Wade was overturned."

Make second-trimester abortions illegal

• The first measure, HB 90, makes second-trimester abortions illegal and ups the penalty for doing an illegal later-term abortion to a second degree felony from a third degree felony.
• HB 222 is a bill to allow women to know about the pain an abortion will cause to their unborn child. The bill requires abortion practitioners to tell women about the pain their baby will feel during an abortion.
• The final bill, HB 114, would create a legal defense fund that private citizens could donate to in order to defend an abortion ban they expect to receive approval of by 2014.