North Cook News

Laura Vandercar, co-founder of Northwest Families for Life, sees supporting Georgia House Bill 481 as the humane and righteous thing to do.

“We need to protect the most vulnerable among us and that certainly would be the unborn,” Vandercar told North Cook News. “We need to recognize that these are living beings and the bible tells us though shall not kill.”

Georgia Republican Gov. Brain Kemp recently signed HB 481, known as the “fetal heartbeat bill,” into law banning all abortions where a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The bill is also known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act and applies across the board except in instances where giving birth could put the mother’s life in danger and cases of rape or incest before the 20-week mark where a formal police report has been filed.

Currently in Georgia, women are able to have abortions performed as late as the 20th week of their pregnancy. The new law would officially take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

“We need to take a stance,” Vandercar added. “I commend the state of Georgia because a lot of governors are not willing to go through the process and cost of taking a position like this. You’re definitely seeing the pro-abortion side scrambling to try and push through bills that quite frankly are over the top and dangerous. These are bills that will take away the conscious rights of doctors and nurses. So, it’s definitely a critical time.”

Locally, newly elected Republican House member Chris Miller (Oakland) recently filed similar legislation that would outlaw all abortions where a fetal heartbeat can be detected. With just days remaining in the legislative session, the bill remains stuck in committee, seemingly with little chance of being called by the largely Democratic majority despite having been filed early in the session.

In Georgia, Kemp’s proposal has run into strong opposition, with the likes of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood leading the charge.