POLITICIANS are preparing to make a final vote on Thursday night on an amended and historic bill to decriminalise abortions in NSW, following a marathon debate.
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Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison, who along with Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper is one of 15 co-sponsors of the bill, said it had been an "incredibly emotional week".
"I feel so honoured to be here - we are so lucky to be at this amazing point in history where we finally get to decide this," she said on Thursday evening.
She said debate had been "respectful", but that the gallery had been "pretty intense" at times.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich introduced the bill into the NSW Legislative Assembly on August 1.
More than 60 MPs spoke on the bill, including Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery, who told of her mother's backyard abortion at 16.
A preliminary vote, to allow the bill to proceed to a debate over amendments, was passed on Thursday morning.
The house then started considering and voting on a list of amendments.
Attorney General Mark Speakman's amendments to require terminations be performed "only if the person has given informed consent", and after 22 weeks by a "specialist medical practitioner", were both passed.
So was Nationals MP Leslie Williams' amendment that abortions after 22 weeks be "performed only at approved public health facilities" and Liberal MP Alister Henskens' amendment that doctors "assess whether or not it would be beneficial" to provide information about accessing counselling to women.
Liberal MP Tanya Davies' amendment to cut the threshold for restrictions on late term abortions from 22 to 20 weeks was voted down.
Ms Aitchison said some amendments were "red herrings designed to delay and obfuscate the issues".
The bill is expected to reach a final vote on Thursday night.
It will also need to pass the upper house.