Lawmakers say a bill that passed the Mississippi House on Tuesday could lead to criminal prosecutions of anyone who performs an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
The abortion restriction was added to Senate Bill 2771, which would set a prison sentence of up to 30 years for anyone convicted of child homicide. The killer would have to be at least 21 years old, and the victim would have to be younger than 18.
House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, sponsored the fetal heartbeat amendment, saying it would protect innocent life. Tuesday’s amendment revived, in slightly different form, Gipson’s earlier effort to outlaw abortion after a fetal heartbeat was detected. That passed the House but died in a Senate committee last week.
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