By Carol Pipes
Yesterday (March 8), Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Associated Press. If signed into law, it would become the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S.
Pro-life groups are applauding the passage of the bill, which now heads to the governor’s office. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant is said to be eager to sign the bill.
House Bill 1510 includes two exceptions: if the baby has a health problem that would prevent survival outside the womb at full-term or if the woman’s life or a “major bodily function” is threatened by the pregnancy.
The bill does not exempt pregnancies as a result of rape and incest.
The Mississippi House approved the bill 75-34 Thursday. The Senate passed the measure in a 35-14 vote on Tuesday, reported AP.
Mississippi’s attorney general Jim Hood said he expects “an immediate and expensive legal challenge” to the bill.
The owner of the state’s only abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is considering legal action, reported the Los Angeles Times.
Mississippi’s current law, which prohibits abortion after 20 weeks, is already one of the most restrictive in the nation.
On Tuesday, Gov. Bryant tweeted, “As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child.”
As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal. https://t.co/ffqRfhwx51
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) March 6, 2018
UPDATE: On Monday, March 19, Bryant signed the bill into law. Almost immediately, the state’s only abortion clinic sued to block it.
Related:
- Supreme Court to Hear Case on Pro-Life Speech
- VP Shares Pro-Life Hopes and Billy Graham Memories With NRB
- Desperate Choices: How Your Church Responds to Unplanned Pregnancy is a Matter of Life or Death
- 5 Practical Ways to Be a Pro-Life Champion in Your Church
CAROL PIPES (@CarolPipes) is editor in chief of Facts & Trends.
