(RepublicanDaily.org) – Surrounded by fellow Democrats in the state legislature, State Senator Eva Burch announced that she intends to seek an abortion after finding out that her current pregnancy is not progressing.
The 43-year-old Burch, who is already a mother of two children, related her situation with fertility, which she called a “rough journey”. Burch told colleagues that she has experienced multiple miscarriages, and had to terminate another non-viable pregnancy while she was campaigning two years ago for the state senate seat she now holds.
Burch is also a registered nurse and is known for her activism in reproductive rights and women’s health. She explained that she decided to tell everyone of her decision to undergo an abortive procedure in order to spark “meaningful conversations” on how legislation affects “people in the real world.” Speaking to the Associated Press, Burch said that she wanted to take the opportunity to put a spotlight on what people like her who need an abortion have to go through in the Grand Canyon State.
In her speech, Burch decried state laws that she said “interfere” with her right to choose what to do with her body while also pushing for unnecessary and “invasive” procedures – such as a transvaginal ultrasound, which Burch said she went through – for women who want to get an abortion. The state senator also stressed that reproductive health issues should be a conversation between “patient and [healthcare] provider” rather than be put under the purview of state legislators.
Burch’s comments did not sit well with many of the Republican state senators in attendance at the time, with several walking out while Burch was still speaking. A lone Republican, State Senator Ken Bennett from Prescott, remained for the entirety of Burch’s speech. The Arizona Mirror reported the Bennett approached Burch after she spoke, expressing his sympathies for what she has been going through, and hugged her afterward.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanDaily.org
