ATLANTA – State Representative Renitta Shannon (D-Decatur) today issued the following statement on House Bill 481:
“I have fought House Bill 481 since the very beginning. Nearly two months ago, I promised myself that if the speaker put a six-week abortion ban on the floor, he would have to physically remove me to get me to stop fighting against it. As a black Georgian woman who has had an abortion, I know firsthand how destructive forced birthing policies can be, and I said so. I continue to say so.
“By signing HB 481 into law, Governor Brian Kemp has turned back the clock in Georgia by a half century. This unconscionable bill is set to become law, and we know who will suffer – the women of Georgia. Whether they know it or not, this is an attack on all women. All miscarriages will be subject to suspicion of criminality, and instead of seeking immediate care, women will be weighing if seeking care could mean being criminalized. Black and brown women will be disproportionately criminalized. This bill is not pro-life, but a death sentence for women whose viability of life is not in dispute.
“Georgia has the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. And yet, conservatives are restricting access to care rather than increasing. HB 481 bans abortions at six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. It is deliberately unconstitutional, and that is the entire point. Instead of focusing on the very real healthcare challenges that Georgians face every day, conservatives are using taxpayer dollars to wage a national fight by trying to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Georgia now joins three other states, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio, which have signed identical six week abortion bans into law. It is not just Georgia – this is a national fight to protect women’s most basic right to bodily autonomy.
“Gov. Kemp had the chance to do the right thing and veto this intrusive bill, but he failed. He not only failed the women of Georgia, but he also failed every taxpayer who will have to pay to defend this draconian law in court.
“Today is a sad day for the women of Georgia. But I am not sad. I am angry. And I am not going to stop fighting. I will continue to fight for every Georgian’s fundamental right to make their own choices about their health care. I will continue to fight #HB481 and any bill that endangers women’s lives.”
Representative Renitta Shannon represents the citizens of District 84, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Governmental Affairs, Insurance and Small Business committees.
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