Home Family Law The repeal of Roe v. Wade would begin Georgia’s Heartbeat Legislation

The repeal of Roe v. Wade would begin Georgia’s Heartbeat Legislation

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The repeal of Roe v.  Wade would begin Georgia’s Heartbeat Legislation

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) — If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the constitutional right to abortion, as suggested in a leaked draft advisory opinion published by Politico, it would pave the way for Georgia’s Heartbeat Act — one of the toughest abortion laws in the country – be effective.

In 2019, Governor Brian Kemp signed the law into law. It bans most abortions after a heartbeat can be detected in the womb, ie as early as 6 weeks gestation, when many women don’t even know they are pregnant.

Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, sponsored the bill in the Georgia General Assembly. “Our bill didn’t just protect them [the unborn] from abortion, but also gave them full rights like any other person,” said Setzler. “Unlike all other laws in the nation, under the Georgia bill, mothers in the womb can receive child support from fathers when the father is not present. Parents get a full tax exemption like any other family. When mom and dad are pregnant with their second child, they are four family members, not three family members.”

That law has yet to go into effect because it was stayed by a federal appeals court injunction. If the Supreme Court does in fact accept the landmark 1973 abortion ruling, Roe v. Wade, the Heartbeat Act would likely go into effect soon after.

“If that opinion is forthcoming and other motions need to be filed, I know the AG office will stay the course,” Setzler said, adding that the heartbeat bill may not be long before it becomes enacted after a positive Supreme Court ruling power comes judgement. “I think we can be proud that this would go into effect across our state relatively shortly after.”

Attorney General Chris Carr wrote in a statement to CBS46: “We reserve the right to comment pending the official decision of the US Supreme Court. In the meantime, we will continue to vigorously defend Georgia’s Heartbeat Act in federal courts.”

“This is the moment that so many of us have prayed for for so many years,” said Suzanne Guy, president and founder of a nonprofit based in Cherokee County called Life Initiatives & Values.

For them, the rights of the unborn are personal.

“Three doctors insisted that my husband and I abort our daughter who is now 24 and doing great and leading the charge against life,” Guy said.

She was thrilled to learn that the leaked draft opinion, although uncorroborated, appears to show the Supreme Court is willing to return decisions on abortion laws to the states.

Abortion rights advocates are concerned that access to abortion will be severely restricted in nearly half the country.

Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, told CBS46, “The impact is absolutely devastating for women, their families, and everyone in Georgia.”

“Will you sit back as women’s and girls’ rights to control their lives, bodies and destiny are being tried by a fascist majority?” asked Sunsara Taylor, spokeswoman for a pro-choice group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights. “Or are you going to raise your voice and raise hell and take to the streets and fight with everything we have to stop that?”

Democrats were quick to take up the abortion issue amid lackluster internal polling ahead of the midterm elections.

“I will always fight to protect a woman’s right to vote,” said US Senator from Georgia Rafael Warnock, senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.