U.S.
Mississippi House approves 20-week abortion ban
The Mississippi House of Representatives approved a measure on Thursday banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. According to the legislation, the bill was introduced out of concern that a fetus can feel pain by 20 weeks gestation. House member Andy Gipson, author of HB 1400, said the only exceptions to the proposed ban are "for the life of the mother or in a case where the baby just can't live regardless of medical treatment."
In a statement Thursday, Gipson asserted that medical evidence shows that "the unborn at this age can feel pain" and that the proposed law would help to protect the unborn and their mothers. The bill, which passed the House with an 89-22 vote, heads to the Republican-led state Senate where it is likely to pass next month. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant is expected to sign the bill into law.
Since abortion became legal in the US in 1973, it has been a highly-debated issue with many conservative states continually attempting to restrict, if not outlaw, its occurrence. Mississippi is one more in a series of states, including Alabama, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, that have passed similar abortion restrictions. If the bill becomes law, Mississippi will become the thirteenth state to enact a 20-week abortion ban since 2010, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Last month, the US Supreme Court declined to rule on Arizona's attempt to revive its 20-week ban on abortions after having been stuck down by a federal appeals court.
(Published by Jurist – February 15, 2014)