Anti-Abortion Bill Moving Through Georgia Legislature

BUFORD, GA -- A Georgia state House committee has approved a Senate bill that would free up state grant money for pregnancy resource centers -- as long as they don't provide counseling that may encourage women to have an abortion.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, has already passed the Senate by a 38-16 vote and now goes to the full House for consideration.

Senate Bill 308 would set up a program providing grants through Georgia's Department of Public Health that supporters say would help fund alternatives to abortion through pregnancy and parenting counseling.

The funds would only be available to so-called pregnancy crisis centers or other providers that do not counsel women to get abortions or refer them to clinics that provide abortions.

“What pregnancy resource centers do is offer the resources to make good decisions,” Unterman said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Not only can they stay in business, but hopefully they can expand and decrease the number of abortions that we have in the state of Georgia.”

Unterman, the chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services committee, estimates there are 27,000 abortions each year in Georgia.

The bill cleared the House Health and Human Services committee on Tuesday.

Critics argue that pregnancy resource centers often do not provide the same quality of care as clinics that may also offer, or provide information about, abortions.

The General Assembly reconvenes on Thursday for the 34th day of its 40-day annual session.