Lawmakers in several states consider bills that propose abortion as homicide
Lawmakers in at least eight states are considering bills that would classify abortion as homicide, imposing criminal penalties on both providers and patients. The proposed legislation, known as the Prenatal Equal Protection Act, has been introduced in Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. This model legislation was developed by the advocacy group Foundation to Abolish Abortion based in Texas.
While similar bills were also introduced in Indiana, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, they did not pass through committees or legislature floors. Apart from banning abortion, these bills could potentially outlaw fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization, as they assert that life begins at fertilization.
Notably, no state abortion ban explicitly criminalizes pregnant individuals, and public opinion polls indicate support for abortion rights and opposition to penalizing those seeking abortions. Despite this, the increase in the number of homicide bills related to abortion across the country signals a growing trend among abortion opponents in favor of directly punishing individuals who terminate pregnancies.
Advocates of these bills, often referred to as “abolitionist” abortion policy, recognize that their approach is not widely supported within the mainstream anti-abortion movement. They argue for equal protection under the law for all individuals, emphasizing the equal protection of everyone’s life. However, some within the anti-abortion movement prefer policies that grant legal immunity to pregnant individuals who seek abortions.
While some bills have faced opposition and obstacles in advancing, lawmakers in various states are showing interest in reclassifying abortion as homicide and criminalizing pregnant individuals. For instance, in Georgia, a bill with 21 sponsors has been introduced but has yet to move forward for a committee vote. Similarly, in states like Texas and South Carolina, there are efforts to restrict access to abortion through different means.
The debate surrounding these bills reflects ongoing tensions within the anti-abortion movement regarding the legal status of abortion and the protection of pregnant individuals.
He mentioned that the bill his organization supported for a five-year-old organization had the most sponsors in South Carolina with 10 supporters. A similar bill in North Dakota received 16 votes but did not pass. A dozen states have almost entirely banned abortion, while four others have banned it after six weeks. Two states prohibit it after the first trimester, and many others have imposed various restrictions. Despite these limitations, factors like travel and telehealth have led to an increase in the number of abortions in the United States since Roe v. Wade, prompting anti-abortion advocates to seek new strategies. Three years ago, 13 states introduced similar abortion bills, with only Louisiana seeing one progress beyond committee stage. Even in Louisiana, where lawmakers are largely against abortion, the idea of criminalizing pregnant individuals seemed excessive. Sarah Zargoski from Louisiana Right to Life emphasized that major national organizations do not endorse criminalizing pregnant individuals. However, ongoing efforts to introduce such bills may gradually change this perspective, according to Hinkley. While these bills may not be enacted this year, their introduction could normalize them in certain circles. This information was originally reported by Shefali Luthra of The 19th. For more reporting on gender, politics, and policy, you can meet Shefali and read her work. The post discusses state lawmakers considering bills that would classify abortion as homicide, as reported on Katie Couric Media.
