Georgia House Committee Begins Hearings on Abortion Pain Bill

February 20th, 2012

A Georgia House committee began a series of hearings on a bill today that would limit abortions at and after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Republican representative Doug McKillip says he’s proposing the bill because he believes a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks.

“If you stick a fetus with a pin it reacts. It hurts and all the senses that you and I would hurt if we got stuck with a pin. It has chemical reactions that they’re able to measure.”

McKillip says there’s medical evidence to back up his position. Meanwhile, opponents cite at least two medical studies which say a fetus doesn’t feel pain untilabout 29 weeks. Several Democrats at the hearing like Representative Nikki Randall say they’re concerned because women don’t find out about some fetal anomalies until about the 20^th week of pregnancy.

“This bill says they’ll continue to have to carry that child knowing that it may not have a brain or organs or won’t even probably live and I think that’s terribly unfair.”

McKillip’s legislation would limit abortions at 20 weeks except to protect a woman’s life, but doctors would have to terminate the pregnancy in a manner that provides the best opportunity for the child to survive. Currently, abortion is not permitted in Georgia starting in the third trimester except to protect a woman's life and health.