Joint Committee on Social Welfare Considers Repeal of Abortion Laws

State Senator Jack Backman (D-Brookline)--who earlier this month filed legislation to repeal Massachusett's 126-year-old abortion laws--said Sunday he is "not encouraged" by the 17-hour hearing on the issue held last Thursday.

About 200 different individuals and group representatives testified before the Massachusetts Joint Legislative Committee on Social Welfare, which will report its findings to the legislature later this week.

The Committee will report the bill "favorably" or "unfavorably," according to the vote of the 21 Committee members. About 12 members attended the hearing, although only five were left when the last person testified at 2 a.m. Friday morning.

Backman said Sunday he would not be surprised by a finding of "unfavorable." Whatever the finding, the bill will eventually be debated in both House chambers, but Backman said he does not expect it to pass.

Present Massachusetts law permits abortion only if the physical or mental health of the mother is seriously impaired by the pregnancy.

"Quite a few legislators seem sympathetic to changing the law but they're reluctant to support a repeal for fear of antagonizing their voters," Backman said.

He added, however, that he is "more hopeful" that legislative birth control restrictions may be relaxed this year. These two bills are among 700--covering public health, prisons and welfare--examined by the Social Welfare Committee each year. Last year the Committee, reporting on a similar antiabortion bill, registered a 20-to-5 unfavorable vote.

Among the groups supporting repeal are the National Organization for Women and several Protestant church groups. The Jewish Survival Legions of Massachusetts and the Catholic hierarchy oppose repeal. Backman noted, however, that letters and testimony from Catholic laymen were often in support of a repeal.