Governor. Phil Bryant has always expressed an interest in tightening Mississippi’s abortion laws. Bryant expressed his delight at signing House Bill 1510, which was approved by the Senate 35-14. It is currently headed for concurrence in the House of Representatives. “As I’ve repeatedly stated, I want Mississippi the safest state in America for unborn children. Bryant stated that House Bill 1510 will help us reach this goal and that he looks forward to signing it if the House agrees. No state currently restricts abortion before 20 weeks gestation. House Bill 1510, a precedent-setting piece legislative legislation, is likely to face a tough legal challenge. The bill’s supporters said that they are ready for it. Sen. Joey Fillingane (R-Sumrall), who presented the legislation to Senate, said, “I certainly feel strongly about this legislation. And our attorney general has been closely following the bill in anticipation of a challenge it.” Attorney General Jim Hood stated that he fully anticipates that the state would be sued if Governor Scott signs the bill into law. General Hood, a Democrat, stated that bans lower than 20 weeks have been overturned. “We anticipate an immediate and costly legal challenge.” Mississippi might not be the only state to contest it. A bill to restrict abortion after 15 weeks was dropped by a Louisiana House member last week. The bill is currently under review. Felicia Brown Williams, of Planned Parenthood Southeast, stated that HB 1510 could be used as a template to ban similar activities across the U.S. “If it passes, we can expect it will be a model for other similar bans across America.” “… Jackson Women’s Health Organization already stated their intention to sue if the HB 1510 is passed. It will eventually end up in the middle of a long and costly legal battle with Mississippi taxpayers footing it.” The Senate version is a significant change to the House bill. It removes a clause that would have made doctors who perform abortions after 15 week gestation criminally liable. However, the doctors remain subject to professional censure as well as fines. This change has resulted in the bill moving back to the House. The House will decide whether to accept the Senate’s changes, or to send it to conference. The bill was sponsored by Andy Gipson (R-Braxton), who said that even without the criminal provisions, the bill still had his support. “The fact they have removed the criminal penalties will not affect how we deal with the bill when it returns. It is still my support. Gipson stated that he believes the House can support it. The bill passed with a large margin. All Republicans and a few Democrats voted in support. However, the debate on floor was contentious as many senators pushed Fillingane to discuss fetal viability. A fetus born after 20 weeks gestation has never survived outside of the womb. Technology advances have also made it difficult for babies born before 22 weeks to survive. Fillingane stated several times Tuesday that medical advancements could make fetal viability possible as soon as 15 weeks. This is a critical point, if true. The landmark Roe v. Wade case ruled that women should have the right to get an abortion at the least until the point that fetal viability has been reached. Senator Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, refuted the notion that 15 weeks could be considered a point of viability. Turner asked, “Are there any cases in which a fetus was deemed viable at 15 weeks?” Fillingane replied that he wasn’t, but that viability was no longer the most important issue. He argued that the question of “undue weight” was raised in a Supreme Court case from 1992. This means that the states cannot pass laws that place undue burdens on women’s rights to abortion, up to the point where fetal viability is reached. Fillingane claimed viability wasn’t a major issue. However, he stated, “I think medical tech more than any other is driving the shortening (for) when abortions would be allowed.” These arguments are likely to be the central argument if the bill is passed and challenged in court. Although four amendments were offered by senators who opposed the bill, none of them passed, there were several others. The most controversial was the one offered by Senator Deborah Dawkins (D-Pass Christian), which required the state to cover child care for any child whose mom did not have an abortion due to this law. Dawkins stated, “If the state is to intervene in family matters or family budgets it is only fair we provide the affected families and children with early childhood assistance.” Initial support for the bill was bipartisan. Sen. David Parker (R-Olive Branch) said he would support an amendment that included payment for child care for mothers who make an appointment for abortions and later decide against them. Dawkins supported this change. Fillingane, however, objected to it, arguing that it was not relevant to the bill. “Sen. “Sen. It deals only with moving from 20 to 15 weeks. Fillingane stated that it has nothing to do about child care costs, or any other issues Sen. Dawkins brings up. The amendment was rejected by the Senate counsel. However, Senator Barbara Blackmon tried again to include child care. She modified the amendment to make it so that the bill would not take effect unless a separate bill addressing child care was passed. This was discussed in the Senate for several minutes, but it was ultimately thrown out because of the same reasons. Senator Derrick Simmons (D-Greenville) tried to amend the bill in order to add an exception for rape or incest. The bill and the current state law provide exceptions for abortions after 15 week if the life or health of the mother or fetus is endangered, but neither offer an exception for victims. Simmons stated that these are complex decisions that women must make. Simmons also said that Simmons believes those decisions should be shared between the women and their families, as well as their doctors. Simmons said that although we need to have legislative bodies make those decisions, and those bodies provide exceptions, I believe we should use those exceptions for unfortunate events like rape or impotence. Simmons moved to reconsider the bill. To support this work, make a regular donation to us today as we celebrate our Spring Member Drive.