Rantz: Democrat Sen Marko Liias defends ghoulish 30-week abortion

Washington state senator Marko Liias, a democrat representing Mukilteo, is defending a woman who had a third-trimester abortion (before burning and burying the body of her child). It’s so extreme that it’s not even legal in Washington state, which takes a very permissive approach to abortion.

Democrats are sounding the alarm over a case out of Nebraska where a 19-year-old earned 90 days in jail after killing her child through a medically induced abortion. Like other Radical Left activists, Liias linked to a New York Times report on the case, saying it belongs in a “dystopian Margaret Atwood book.”

“There is no freedom more fundamental than bodily autonomy, this is nothing but a ruthless attempt to control women’s bodies. And I promise you, the MAGA extreme won’t stop there…,” Liias tweeted.

But it’s his position that’s extreme. Assuming Liias actually read the article, his stance is ghoulish, earning him the top spot of Washington’s most radical Democrat.

This news article belongs in a dystopian Margaret Atwood book, not in the United States of America. There is no freedom more fundamental than bodily autonomy, this is nothing but a ruthless attempt to control women’s bodies. And I promise you, the MAGA extreme won’t stop there… https://t.co/QCZB0yk6JM

— 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐢𝐚𝐬 🏳️‍🌈 (@MarkoLiias) July 21, 2023

Nebraska case was about a third trimester abortion

The left-wing concern over this case appears to be driven, at least in part, by a misunderstanding of the case.

The story was initially pitched by the New York Times as merely a teen prosecuted for taking an abortion pill to terminate her pregnancy. The story was needlessly confusing, unless it was to meant to mask the horrific details of the crimes. And it led to protestations of Nebraska’s abortion law, which ban the procedure after 12-weeks. Most abortions in the United States happen around the 13-week mark, but this case did not even involve the law.

Celeste Burgess knew she was pregnant on March 8, 2022 and was estimated to be about 23 weeks and 2 days along, according to medical records obtained by police. July 3, 2022 was the estimated due date. Celeste, 17 at the time, decided she did not want her child. In Facebook messages obtained by police, she said she couldn’t wait to get the “thing” out of her body. “I will finally be able to wear jeans,” she said.

Nearly 30 weeks into the pregnancy, prosecutors say Celeste took abortion pills, purchased by her mother Jessica Burgess, to terminate “long after the 10 weeks permitted by the Food and Drug Administration,” as reported by the New York Times. After 23 weeks, a child is accepted as viable outside the womb.

Police were told in late April 2022 that Celeste gave birth to a stillborn baby at home in a bathtub. But they quickly learned a medically induced abortion occurred. Jessica instructed Celeste the schedule to follow with the abortion pills, per police.

Disposing of the child’s body

Police say the investigation found t hat Celeste and her mother put the child’s body into a bag and then a box, which they then buried. But court records, per the New York Times, indicate the pair buried and reburied the body a total of three times.

According to the search warrant, police reported that the pair “were telling others they needed to dig the child’s body up and then burn it.” A man who knew about the burial confirmed to police that the daughter and mother tried to burn the child’s body.

“Remember we burn the evidence,” Celeste said to her mom via Facebook, according to the transcript obtained by police.

The search warrant says post-exhumation, “the body… appeared to have thermal injuries.”

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Abortion laws weren’t used in this case

There were no charges ever levelled against Celeste in connection to Nebraska’s abortion law. And the law itself is clear: “No penalty shall be assessed against the woman upon whom the abortion is performed or attempted to be performed.”

Celeste ended up pleading guilty to removing or concealing human skeletal remains, which is a felony. She will serve just 90 days in jail, and be placed on probation for two years. Jessica reportedly pleaded guilty to giving her daughter the abortion pills after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Yet Liias, and other Democrats, are pretending this case is tied to a “MAGA Republican” world post-Roe. Even the New York Times tries to frame the case around abortion rights. But the incident occurred even before Roe v. Wade was overturned. I’d like to believe Democrats, including Liias, don’t actually support an elective abortion at 30 weeks. I’d rather it be that they’re knowingly lying about this case to demonize pro-lifers because do we really want people who support the killing of a viable child in positions of power over us?

Democrats put #PeopleOverPolitics and passed an infrastructure law to rebuild roads, bridges and highways.

What are Republicans focused on? Locking women up for having an abortion. https://t.co/H40YEemmsI

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 21, 2023

Marko Liias is the extremist

Liias’ apparent view is well outside the mainstream, including in Washington state. The majority of Americans want restrictions on abortion, there’s just some disagreement on when the restrictions should occur. But it’s clear they’re disgusted by where Liias seems to stand: only 12% of the country supports abortion through week 30. Yet, he proudly defends Celeste. And It may suggest the radical lawmaker may try to change Washington state law.

If Celeste’s case occurred in Washington, she’d be breaking the law. A 30-week abortion is illegal in Washington, unless the mother’s life is at risk or the pregnancy is not viable (as determined by doctors). The only question is whether or not our left-wing prosecutors would have charged the girl for trying to burn and bury the body.

Can we expect legislation from Liias to change our laws and allow abortion up until birth? Liias did not respond to a request for comment. We do know that his extremism often informs his legislative decisions.

In 2022, Liias led the way in banning youth shelters from reporting the whereabouts of minors who run away to receive so-called “gender affirming care” (including surgeries) and abortions, without parental consent. He pretended his fight was to protect children from abusive households, though, at the time, there was already a law protecting kids in those circumstances. The move was always about pushing the limits on gender reassignment and abortions. Hopefully we won’t have to experience a legislative push inspired by Celeste’s story.

I certainly understand why Americans are split over when abortion restrictions should kick in. But at week 30, Liias’ apparent position is revolting. He thinks what happened to Celeste shows MAGA extremism. But it’s Liias who is the extremist.

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). He is the author of the book What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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