Abortion Bill Nears Final Approval

Under Senate Bill 98, the state health benefit plan, which covers all state employees including public school teachers, would be prohibited from covering abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. The lone exception would be if the mother’s life is at risk.

This is actually the state’s current policy. Gov. Nathan Deal, through the state Board of Community Health, made the change last year. The bill just codifies that decision.

“This legislation provides permanency versus the temporary nature of rules and regs,” said House Insurance Committee chair Richard Smith. 

The bill also bans abortion coverage for any health policy purchased on the federal health exchange under the Affordable Care Act. The lone exception, once again, is when the mother’s life is at risk.

Minority Whip Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, said the bill would make Georgia’s abortion restrictions some of the nation’s toughest. She said the legislation is anti-women.

“From my perspective, what we’re were saying to young women who are walking around this Capitol, ‘We love you but you better not get raped because if you do we are expecting you to bring this child to term.’”

Hughley criticized the committee process and said debate on the bill was unnecessarily silenced. She said the bill was being pushed through without enough consideration for those it would affect.

“People came and wanted to be heard but they were not allowed to speak on the bill. If we’re going to take up uncomfortable subjects we have to be willing to talk about it.”

The House approved the bill 105-64, mostly along party lines. The Senate had already passed the bill, but the House made changes so it goes back to the Senate for final approval.