A federal lawsuit filed Friday (overnight NZT) in Atlanta is the latest effort by abortion providers and advocacy groups to challenge a wave of restrictive abortion laws passed in conservative-controlled state legislatures.
Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the centre for Reproductive Rights filed the lawsuit challenging a new Georgia law that effectively bans abortions about six weeks into a pregnancy.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Georgia abortion providers and an advocacy group, asks a judge to prevent the law from taking effect and to declare it unconstitutional. Otherwise, the law becomes enforceable January 1.
The law must be blocked "to ensure that everyone has the freedom to make their own health care decisions without politicians looking over their shoulder and the freedom to decide for themselves when to start or expand a family," ACLU of Georgia legal director Sean Young said at a news conference.
The so-called heartbeat law bans abortion once a foetal heartbeat can be detected, which can occur as early as six weeks, before many women know they're pregnant.
It's one of a spate of laws passed recently by Republican-controlled legislatures in an attack on the USSupreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that said a woman has the right to choose whether to have an abortion.
The publicity surrounding the laws has created confusion, abortion providers say. Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, reminded people that abortion remains legal in every state.
"Every day, our collective doors stay open so that you can access the quality, compassionate, non-judgemental health care that you deserve, and that includes access to safe and legal abortion," Fox said.
The Georgia legislation makes exceptions in the case of rape and incest, if the woman files a police report first. It also allows for abortions when the life of the woman is at risk or when a foetus is determined not to be viable because of a serious medical condition.
Additionally, it declares an embryo or foetus a "natural person" once cardiac activity can be detected, saying that is the point where "the full value of a child begins." That would make the foetus a dependent minor for tax purposes and trigger child support obligations.
SHARE ME