WASHINGTON — Since the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh
last October and the 2018 midterm elections, a number of states have news laws
in place to either expand or restrict abortion, including Mississippi, whose
new law puts the state among the most ardent on the pro-life side of the
battle.
On March 21, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican, signed
into law S.B. 2116, a "heartbeat bill" which will prohibit abortions
in the state after the point a fetal heartbeat is detected.
It was approved by a 34-15 party-line vote with most Republicans
supporting it and most Democrats rejecting it. The House passed it in a 78-37
vote. Set to take effect in July of this year, it will set tough restrictions
for the state's only abortion clinic — Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Pro-life advocates cheered the bill's passage, among them
Mississippi Bishops Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson and Louis F. Kihneman of
Biloxi.
In a joint statement, they extolled the bill for protecting
"the tiniest and most vulnerable of our citizens" and expressed hope
that "the courts will uphold this law and continue to pray for an end to
abortion in our nation." They concluded with a list of clinics in the
state that assist women who find themselves in difficult pregnancies.
The bill makes abortions illegal as soon as the fetus' heartbeat
can be detected, which could be as early as six to eight weeks; in some cases
it may be as late as 12 weeks when detected with a Doppler fetal monitor. The
only exceptions would be to prevent a woman's death or her serious risk of
impairment.
The Susan B. Anthony list, a national pro-life advocacy group
based in Washington, echoed similar sentiments. President Marjorie Dannenfelser
said: "The people of Mississippi, like most Americans, reject the extreme
status quo of abortion on demand through birth imposed by Roe v. Wade. ... It
is no wonder we see growing momentum to humanize our laws."
Groups that support legal abortion already have plans to
challenge the new law. According to The Washington Post, the Center for
Reproductive Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union and NARAL Pro-Choice
America have all labeled it unconstitutional and plan to wage a court battle
against it soon. Hillary Schellner, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive
Rights, told The Washington Post that "this ban is one of the most
restrictive abortion bans signed into law, and we will take Mississippi to
court to make sure it never takes effect."
Bryant fired back at the bill's detractors in a tweet where he
affirmed his pro-life convictions. He also mentioned that the prospect of legal
challenges only served to strengthen his resolve to sign the measure even
before the bill was passed, saying: "We will all answer to the good Lord
one day. I will say in this instance, 'I fought for the lives of innocent
babies, even under threat of legal action.'"
A legal fight may indeed prove problematic for the bill.
According to The Hill, a similar measure was approved by Kentucky's legislators
and signed by the governor March 15, only to be stopped by an order from a
federal judge the same day. The legislation on hold until a hearing on it can
be held. Leading the effort against the Kentucky version was the ACLU, which
teamed up with the state's only abortion clinic.
Other states in which heartbeat bills have gained traction
include Georgia and Ohio. Iowa also had passed such a measure, but in January,
a judge declared it unconstitutional. Other states, like Rhode Island, continue
to seek policies that will expand abortion access.