Sarah Palin's church buddies

Continuing on the theme of Sarah Palin's buddies, let's leave her high school and move on to her church.

During the time Sarah Palin was mayor, her church became involved in taking over the board of the local hospital, Mat-Su Providence. The more conservative, fundamentalist churches, over a period of three or four years, were able to elect and control the operating board of the hospital. At the first meeting where they had control, they passed a resolution ending all abortions at the hospital. The Wasilla Assembly of God and its membership were a key leader in this group.

Dr. Susan Lemagie, a Palmer OB-GYN, fought back, filing suit on behalf of a local woman who had been forced to travel to Seattle for an abortion. The case was finally decided by the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled that the hospital must provide valley women with the abortion option.

The Alaska Supreme Court held unconstitutional a state law that permitted hospitals to refuse to provide abortion services.

"The reasons a doctor and patient choose a medical procedure, so long as it is legal, must not be subject to the approval of hospital's board of directors, according to their own values."

This happened before Sarah Palin had the power to appoint her people to various positions all over the state, but surely she used her influence as mayor of Wasilla so her church could gradually take over the board of the local hospital. Now that she's the governor and can hire and fire at her pleasure, things must be a lot worse.

Luckily for the women of Mat-Su Valley, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled against the hospital board of directors.

Don't forget that she has now appointed a judge who's more to her liking to the Supreme Court.

How long before this issue of banning abortions rears its ugly head again?

Image: Jaques Callot, 1630
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