Georgia Gov. candidate Stacey Abrams, Gov. Kemp address Heartbeat Law
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - In Georgia, the Heartbeat Law, which outlaws abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, is likely to go into effect.
The law was first blocked in 2020, but now, without Roe V. Wade, it’s on its way to the US Court of Appeals for reconsideration.
Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams was in Savannah today speaking at a conference, and she said the law would be detrimental to the women of Georgia.
“Because we know that Georgia has one of the weakest public health infrastructures, and because maternal mortality is one of the highest of the nation, and because this law would prohibit women getting the medical care they need after six weeks, we know that’s going to put a lot of our lives in danger. So I’m deeply concerned.”
Though the heartbeat law would not cause an all out ban on abortion, many women’s rights advocates say most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at six weeks.
Governor Brian Kemp gave his reaction to the ruling this past weekend.
He called Roe V. Wade a bad ruling to begin with and is pushing for the Heartbeat Bill hoping that this decision will help get it implemented in Georgia soon.
“We feel like the ruling will help us get the heartbeat bill implemented. That’s what I would like to see, what the General Assembly voted on but I think it’s also now time for the pro-life movement to step up and say, ‘how can we these mothers, how can we the pro-life movement further with different benefits.’ And if you look at how the legislation works in the heartbeat bill, we did a lot of that thinking through that, but we got to continue to do more of that,” said Governor Kemp.
The governor’s comments come after the state filed a notice Friday asking a U.S. court of appeals for the 11th circuit to reverse a previous decision and allow the Heart Beat law to take affect.
A judge originally blocked that law from taking effect which would have banned most abortions after six weeks.
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