Single Bill On Abortion Makes Floor Moderates In House Gop Caucus Block Other Measures

Abortion foes in the majority House Republican Caucus may win passage of only one of nearly a dozen measures to limit abortion, under an apparent compromise with abortion rights advocates in the caucus.

The one bill, which cleared the House Law and Justice Committee late Wednesday, would allow employers to deny workers health coverage for abortions.

Committee Chairman Larry Sheahan, R-Rosalia, indicated in an interview that it could be the only abortion-related measure to survive today’s afternoon deadline by which measures must get out of his committee. The measure awaits scheduling for floor action.

Moderates among the majority Republicans, who lost a closed-door fight last year to keep abortion-limit measures off the floor, were determined this year to have their way. Such legislation is considered dead on arrival in the Senate, and Gov. Mike Lowry has a standing promise to veto any measure to restrict abortion.

“Our position has been that there shouldn’t be any of this stuff on the floor,” said Rep. Ida Ballasiotes, R-Mercer Island. Some of her colleagues are unhappy that even the one bill passed committee, she said.

Rep. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, said House leaders have had a tough time reconciling the factions over the issue, but said she and other backers of abortion limits won’t settle for nothing.

“There has been some friction, but many people down here are saying, ‘Wait a minute. The reason I’m here is because I took a hard stand against abortion.’ So now, we want to make a statement,” she said.

Planned Parenthood lobbyist Theresa Connor said there were strong indications that many of the abortion-limiting proposals would not be part of that statement. Among them are measures that would require physicians to notify parents before performing abortions on minors, and to ban public funding for abortions.