State Rep. Allen Peake of Macon argues that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks
ATLANTA (AP) -- A Republican state lawmaker is pushing legislation that would restrict abortions in Georgia based on the argument that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks.
State Rep. Allen Peake of Macon said Monday that his bill — co-signed by some members of House leadership — was modeled on a new law in Nebraska.
Nebraska's law outlaws abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the disputed claim that fetuses can feel pain after that point. It's a departure from the standard of viability, established by the 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade. That ruling allows states to limit abortions in cases where there's a viable chance the fetus could survive outside of the womb, generally considered to be between 22 and 24 weeks.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWFXL