Poland’s lawmakers reject bill seeking to outlaw abortion

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s lawmakers have rejected a civic legislative proposal that would have outlawed abortion as homicide. The vote Thursday to reject the proposal was overwhelming, also because most of the ruling right-wing party lawmakers voted against it. Submitted by an anti-abortion group, the proposal called for up to 25 years in prison or even life sentences for obtaining an abortion or assisting a woman to get one. Under the current conservative government Poland’s strict abortion law was tightened further, drawing mass protests. But the main ruling Law and Justice party said the new proposal was extreme and counterproductive. Poland bans abortion except in cases when the woman’s health or life is in danger or when the pregnancy results from crime like rape or incest.