Mississippi became the first state to ban abortions after 15 weeks in pregnancy after its Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the measure into law Monday.
Bryan signed House Bill 1510, which bans women from having abortions after 15 weeks gestation unless the unborn baby is expected to not survive outside the womb or if continuing the pregnancy will jeopardize the woman’s life.
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“It’s a great day in Mississippi,” Republican Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted Monday.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization owner Diane Derzis — running the only remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi — would sue if the law passed, she said and followed through with her threat Monday, according to The Associated Press.
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Some pro-choice advocates think the end goal of passing the 15-week ban is to push the abortion conversation all the way to the Supreme Court.
“I think the real aim here is to instigate a legal challenge that would put abortion before the U.S. Supreme Court, since abortion opponents are anticipating that in the next few years there will be a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court that will be more open to curtailing abortion rights,” Guttmacher Institute state policy expert Elizabeth Nash said, according to Governing News.
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Twenty other states ban abortions after more than 20 weeks gestation.
Twitter users reacted to the news.
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He does know they’ll just drive out of state for them, right?
— Michael Feher (@SaxMike71) March 19, 2018
I’m pro choice but I like this law because I don’t like abortions past 12 weeks.
— Candace 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐶 (@blackcatmama17) March 19, 2018
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.
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