Anatomy of a Ban

A line-by-line look at Georgia's proposed abortion-ban bill reveals the future of radical anti-choice legislation.

By Alina Hoffman and Ann Friedman
Web Exclusive: 01.22.07

After South Dakota voters rejected that state’s abortion ban -- which included language claiming abortion was bad for women and no rape or incest exceptions -- pro-choice advocates warned that any state could pass a similar law. A handful of states have indeed passed trigger laws, meaning they will only take effect if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned. But in Georgia, Republican state representative Bobby Franklin has introduced H.B.1, a bill that would take anti-abortion policy a step further, not only criminalizing abortion but redefining personhood and legitimizing many questionable claims about abortion’s effects.