Last Thursday, State Senators in Arizona voted in favour of giving frozen embryos to the parent who promises to use them to have a baby, even if the other parent objects.
Divorce court judges will no longer be compelled to decide who should have the embryos. Contracts in which, when together, couples amicably agree on what would happen to the embryos in the event of a divorce, shall become invalid.
Opposed to this law, Senator Steve Farley feels that it’s not just a question of one partner becoming the biological parent of an unwanted child. A man might see his ex-wife give birth to several children as the biological mother with him as the biological father. Conversely, an ex-wife might see her ex-husband’s new partner give birth to her own biological child.
According to Senator Nacy Barto, the need for legislation goes beyond the rights of the ex-partner not to be a parent. Not only should it “do justice to the current situation but also to the life of frozen embryos worthy of a good parent”.
The bill has to be put to a roll-call vote before being deliberated by the House.
Daily Sun, Howard Fischer (23/02/2018)