The Prenatal Equal Protection Act, filed in the House of Representatives, would extend existing homicide and wrongful death statutes to cover the killing of an unborn child at any stage of development, imposing criminal penalties on all involved parties, including the pregnant woman.
The bill includes no exceptions and is set for a hearing Wednesday in the House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee.
Republican state Sen. Lee Bright, who introduced the measure, emphasized the need to safeguard the lives of the unborn during a press conference at the State House.
“These children deserve equal protection,” Bright said. “I will be filing a bill of equal protection today. I know we’ve got hearts and minds to change.”