Brushing aside questions of legality and religion, an Arizona House panel voted along party lines to imprison doctors who terminate a pregnancy solely because the fetus has a genetic defect.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) says she is trying to protect unborn children she feels are being “singled out.”
"What we’re trying to do is protect those most vulnerable in the womb, and right now it’s those with disabilities," Barto said.
But the Republican-backed measure would also give the woman's husband or parents the right to sue on behalf of the unborn child and would prohibit women from getting abortion pills sent in the mail without a doctor’s visit and examination.
The Center for Arizona Policy crafted the bill and has been at the forefront of multiple measures to outlaw or restrict the ability of a woman to terminate a pregnancy.
SB 1457 has been approved by the Senate and now needs approval from the full House.