Republican members of Schuylkill County's legislative delegation support at least the general idea of having pregnant women who are considering an abortion undergo an ultrasound examination to determine the baby's gestational age.
"I really think it's good legislation," state Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, a co-sponsor of House Bill 1077, the proposed legislation, said Thursday. "There's nothing wrong with information."
Although state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, had been a co-sponsor of the bill, he said Thursday that he no longer is.
"I have reservations about it," said Tobash, who added that he still supports the general idea behind it. "I felt the information was good. The bill is more intrusive than I think it should be."
House Republican leaders on Wednesday postponed a vote on the bill, saying they did so due to concerns of the medical community. They have not set a date for further consideration of the legislation.
Some medical professionals, including the Pennsylvania Medical Society, have opposed the bill, saying it could interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.
Similar legislation is being considered in other states, Tobash said, and is close to passage in Virginia.
While the state Senate has yet to consider such legislation, state Sen. David Argall, R-29, said the principle behind it is something he supports.
"I think the general idea of giving people more information in order to limit the number of abortions is a good thing," Argall said.
However, Argall is not sure what kind of legislation will make it to the Senate.
"There's a lot of uncertainty," he said.
That uncertainty is not due to any lack of support from Knowles, who said he remains "happily and proudly" a co-sponsor of the bill.
"I don't quite get the objections," he said. "I don't see how information hurts anybody."
Knowles said the law should give women more information and help them make more informed decisions about their pregnancies.
"I don't understand why people would object to this," he said.
Tobash supports providing more information to pregnant women but thinks the current bill has flaws.
"I generally take a pro-life stance. I think the general idea of giving women more information at that point in time is good," he said. "I think good information is important."
However, changes need to be made in the bill in order to win his vote, Tobash said.
"We should listen to the opinions of medical experts," he said.
State Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, the only Democrat in the county's legislative delegation, could not be reached Thursday for comment on the issue.