Poll: Nearly 7 of 10 Georgia Voters in Swing Districts Believe Abortion Should Be Legal

A poll released Friday, the same day the Georgia State Senate voted to approve one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws in the nation, indicates that, among those polled, restrictions on abortion beyond the current law are not overwhelmingly supported.

House Bill 481 is sponsored by State Representative Ed Setzler and was carried by Senator Renee Unterman in the state senate. The bill seeks to ban abortions at 6 weeks, or when a heartbeat is usually detected, a strong shift from the current law of 20 weeks. HB 481 provides exceptions in the event of rape or incest if a police report is filed as well in an effort to save the life of the mother, it includes the unborn in the state population count, and provides a tax deduction for those in the womb by declaring them ‘dependent minors’ under the Georgia code.

Opponents of the bill have said the measure “would outlaw abortion before most women even know they’re pregnant,” and while Republicans overwhelmingly supported the measure, it passed narrowly in the State House with only three votes to spare. Others have questioned whether or not the measure will withstand a constitutional challenge after heartbeat bills in Ohio, Kentucky, and Iowa have all been blocked by the courts. The Arkansas move to 12 weeks was also overturned by the courts, causing the legislature to revisit the issue and work to move to 16 weeks instead. The courts reference the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which prohibits states from limiting abortion in the first trimester.

The polling released Friday was conducted in swing districts across Georgia, including House districts 43, 49, 97, 98, 106, 109, 117, 119, 128, 147, 151, and 164 from March 20-21, 2019. (That includes House seats currently held by Reps Sharon Cooper, Chuck Martin, Bonnie Rich, David Clark, Brett Harrell, Dale Rutledge, Houston Gaines, Marcus Wiedower, Mack Jackson, Heath Clark, Gerald Greene, and Ron Stephens.)

Read more: https://www.allongeorgia.com/georgia-state-politics/poll-nearly-7-of-10-ga-voters-in-swing-districts-believe-abortion-should-be-legal/