“If a heartbeat is used to determine the end of life, it should be used to establish when life begins,” said Republican Congressman Ed Setzler, supporting his bill on Wednesday in the Georgia State Parliament in the United States. This law would prohibit any abortion as soon as the foetal heartbeat is detectable, starting around six weeks of pregnancy. An exception is provided in the event of grave risks to the health of the mother or in cases of rape. Brian Kemp, the Governor of Georgia, said the bill “would help preserve the sanctity of life and uphold the campaign promises he and other Republicans made to restrict abortions”. The bill was passed by Parliament with a vote of 93 to 73, and will now be referred to the State Senate. Many American states are currently promoting similar legislation.
This is the case in Tennessee, whose parliament passed the law last Thursday with a vote of 66 to 21. “It’s not overly complicated,” explains Republican Rep. Matthieu Hill. “We have a responsibility as the representatives of our districts, of our citizens, to ensure that life, innocent life, is protected in all its stages. We will be able to inject some common sense into our code”. Bill Lee, the Governor of Tennessee known for his pro-life position, has said he would sign the bill should it pass the Senate.
For further reading:
The Heartbeat bill: Kentucky’s turn to vote
Two pro-life legislative initiatives in the US
United States – pro-abortion laws proposed and defeated in the states of New York and Iowa
The “heartbeat bill” – Ohio Governor blocks law restricting abortion
Huffington Post, Tennessee House Advances Fetal Heartbeat Bill To Ban Most Early Abortions
Atlanta Journal Constitution, Maya T. Prabhu (08/03/2019) – Georgia House approves anti-abortion ‘heartbeat bill’