Today, Governor Kemp of Georgia signed into law the controversial “Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, which bans all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. A fetal heartbeat can usually be detected around 6 weeks into pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. This is one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the country.
The American Civil Liberties union (ACLU) has announced that it will file a lawsuit against the legislation before the January 2020 implementation because the law is a direct violation of Roe v. Wade.
Elizabeth Nash, senior states issues manager at the Guttmacher Institute, said that “the surge in attempts to ban abortion in the earliest stages of pregnancy underscores that the end goal of anti-abortion politicians and activists is to ban all abortion – at any point during pregnancy and for any reason.”
Dr. Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, said that, “this legislative session could turn out to be the most harmful for women’s health in decades.”
This bill is similar to a recent bill in Alabama that attempted to criminalize abortion and is part of a larger nationwide strategy to pass anti-abortion legislation. Elizabeth Nash went on to say that, “because of the shift in the balance of power at the U.S. Supreme Court, conservative politicians from across the country are looking to send the Court multiple opportunities to undermine or overturn abortion rights.” Other states such as Mississippi, Iowa, Ohio, and Kentucky have sought to ban abortions and decrease abortion access as well.
Media Resources: CBS News 5/7/19; Feminist Newswire 5/3/19
