Georgia senate passes ban on ‘race-based abortions’

ATLANTA (AP) - The state senate has approved a bill that would make it a crime to perform an abortion on a woman based upon the race or gender of the parent or child...

ATLANTA (AP) — The Senate has approved a bill that would make it a crime to perform an abortion on a woman based upon the race or gender of the parent or child.

After more than three hours of debate, senators passed the measure 33-14 in a vote that broke down along party lines.

Republican Sen. Chip Pearson of Dawsonville, the bill’s sponsor, says the proposal addresses the prevalence of gender- and race-based abortions in Georgia, especially among African-American women. The bill would make it illegal to coerce a woman into an abortion on those grounds.

WATCH: RACE TAKES CENTER IN THE ABORTION DEBATE
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Democratic Sen. Donzella James, of College Park, says the idea that black women are being targeted for abortion is unfounded and inflammatory and fails to address the health care disparity that is the real cause of the disproportionate abortion rate for black women.

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