"Had I researched each line of removed language, I would have seen that, and known that there was more research to be done," she said, adding that she is still in favor of abortion rights.
While many characterized Northam's radio comments as an implied endorsement of infanticide, a Catholic bioethicist told CNA that he did not believe the governor explicitly went that far.
Dr. Joe Zalor, an ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told CNA that he did not see the comments as discussing infanticide, per se, but he did find the bill itself to be "highly problematic" and he is glad that it was tabled in committee.
Zalor drew a distinction between circumstances were a may have child survived an abortion and when it was born with such a severe condition that it was medically dying of natural causes from the moment of birth.
"There's nothing morally wrong if you have a child with a very severe illness and there's really nothing that medicine can do--it is admissible (...) to give the child comfort care and let them die a natural death in the arms of their parents," explained Zalor.
Infanticide, he said, involved the taking of deliberate action to hasten the death of the infant.
Zalor said that he believes this bill, and similar legislation being considered in other states, is "the culture of death being exposed for what it is."
"And it's very, very ugly. A silver lining to this may be that people are waking up."
Christine Rousselle is a former DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. Prior to working at CNA, she was the managing web editor of Townhall.com; she has a BA in political science from Providence College.