Answer:
On July 13th, a federal judge permanently prohibited the heartbeat law in the state of Georgia from taking effect. The heartbeat law would have stopped abortion, except for some exceptions, after a heartbeat is detected in a fetus.
The federal ruling said the heartbeat law was unconstitutional and violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
The heartbeat law has always faced controversy and criticism from pro-abortion advocates who argued that the heartbeat bill was restrictive on women who wanted an abortion and that many women were unaware they were pregnant until the heartbeat could be detected.
This heartbeat law is not about the restriction on women who want an abortion but protecting the rights to life of the unborn child.
We want our laws to be able to defend and uphold morality, and equality and it is saddening that when laws like these are put in place, it is said to be restrictive on women. If anything, the prohibition of the heartbeat law is an attack on unborn children who have their rights taken away.
This law has nothing to do with partisan politics as I am pro-life and worked with Republicans and Democrats when drafting this law.
According to Judge Steven Jones, is the heartbeat law truly unconstitutional? It is completely reasonable to consider the heartbeat of a fetus as a sign of life and the Constitution exists to protect such a life.
So far, the federal court has made a ruling but Governor Kemp has made it clear he would file for an appeal and I hope that when it matters most, more thought would be put for the dignity and rights of the unborn rather than partisan narratives.
Rev. Dean Nelson is the executive director of Human Coalition Action.
