Mississippi Legislature Passes "Life Equality Act" Banning Discriminatory Abortions

Photo Credit: Martin Cathrae / Flickr

Mississippi legislators voted to pass the "Life Equality Act" early this week, and it will soon be sent to pro-life Democrat Gov. Tate Reeves to be signed. The bill would make it illegal for a physician to abort an unborn child simply because the parents take issue with the child's race, gender, or possible genetic abnormality.

“We are simply saying all these rights that have been won over the years in the area of racism or sexism should be applied to the unborn in Mississippi,” said Mississippi Senator Joey Fillingane.

Surprisingly few states have passed this common-sense legislation. According to the Guttmacher Institute, nine states have banned abortion based on an unborn child's sex, two have banned it based on their race and two have banned abortion in cases when doctors believe the child may have a genetic abnormality. Missouri is the only state which has successfully banned abortion in all three cases. Kentucky has also passed legislation to do this, but a court order put it on hold, preventing it from coming into effect.

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