Judge blocks Georgia heartbeat law

Unborn babies with a “detectable human heartbeat” are no longer protected in Georgia. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones on Monday permanently ruled the state’s 2019 “heartbeat” law unconstitutional after the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of pro-abortion advocates and abortion providers.

What is the outlook for heartbeat laws? Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and state Attorney General Chris Carr, both Republicans, said the state would appeal. But of the eight states that passed laws in 2019 protecting unborn babies with a detectable heartbeat—as early as six weeks of gestation—all are facing at least temporary blocks from the courts. Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge William Campbell on Monday issued a temporary restraining order on similar protections for unborn babies in Tennessee, just hours after Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law. Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and the Center for Reproductive Rights sued the state, with a hearing scheduled for July 24.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report on the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that provides cover for abortionists.