Only a week after access to abortion was restored, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled on Monday to reinstate the ban. While in Texas a court order was upheld to ban pregnancy terminations that violate the Texas abortion ban.
Abortion in Texas is illegal in almost all cases, with exceptions being to save a mother’s life or to prevent serious impairment of bodily functions. After Monday ruling in Georgia, abortions after six weeks of pregnancy will now become illegal and came into effect on Monday.
The decision is a setback for people opposed to abortion bans, which has been subject to multiple legal challenges over the past two years. It has seen many women turned away by doctors after serious pregnancy complications.
In the wake of the decisions, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was strong in her opinion for abortion to be reinstated for women who require emergency medical attention.
“I will never stop fighting for a woman’s right to emergency medical care — and to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade so that women in every state have access to the care they need,” she said.
Monica Simpson executive director of the SisterSong Women of Colour Reproductive Justice Collective says the ruling is hurting Georgian families.
“Every minute this harmful six-week abortion ban is in place, Georgians suffer,” she said.
“Denying our community members, the lifesaving care they deserve jeopardizes their lives, safety, and health – all for the sake of power and control over our bodies.”
Fulton county superior judge Robert McBurney originally ruled that Georgia’s six-week ban is unconstitutional, preventing abortion before people know they are pregnant.
“Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote,” McBurney said.
“Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted, not-yet-viable fetus to term violates her constitutional rights to liberty and privacy.”
McBurney’s ruling allowed abortion providers to facilitate abortions up until 22 weeks of pregnancy. However, Georgia’s Republican attorney general Chris Carr appealed the ruling which led to the decision.
Photo: Abortion Protest 4 by Tony Wu is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.
