Governor Phil Bryant has already announced he would sign the bill which would be the nation’s strictest law.After much debate, the Mississippi senate voted in favor of the Gestational Age Act, a bill that would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This brings them one step closer to becoming America’s strictest state on abortion practices. In order for the bill to pass it must go through the desk of Governor Phil Bryant, who has already said he would sign it:
“I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child,” Bryant said. “House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal, and I encourage the House to pass it and look forward to signing it.”
The current state laws allow for abortions up to 20 weeks, unless the life of the mother is in danger. Stipulations were removed which would have stripped doctors of their medical licences if they ignore this new law. The proposed bill does not make any exceptions for cases of rape or incest, which led to debate before the vote.
Diane Derzis, the owner and operator of the only abortion clinic in Mississippi, Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization, says she is already preparing a lawsuit over the decision:
“(Gov.) Phil Bryant has never seen an abortion bill he didn’t like … I’m not surprised,” Derzis said after the Senate vote. “We will be planning to sue.”
However, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves claims this is the will of the people:
“Mississippians are committed to protecting the lives of unborn children, and this law will be a major step in accomplishing that goal,” he said. “I am committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child.”
