ATLANTA (AP) – Bucking intense opposition from abortion rights groups, citizens and doctors, the Georgia House gave final approval Friday to a “fetal heartbeat” abortion ban outlawing almost all abortions in the state.
The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who supports it.
The ultimate goal, like that of several GOP controlled states moving to enact the strict abortion bans, is to get a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
Women in Georgia can currently seek an abortion during the first 20 weeks of a pregnancy. A heartbeat can be detected in an embryo as early as six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.
The ACLU of Georgia said they would challenge the bill they called “unconstitutional” in court.