The Arizona Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to a pro-life bill that would ban discriminatory abortions on unborn babies with genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome.
The AP reports Senate Bill 1457, sponsored by state Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, passed the first of two votes in the Republican-controlled Senate and likely will advance to the state House soon.
If enacted, the bill would make it a crime to abort an unborn baby because he or she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder. Exceptions would be allowed if the mother’s life is at risk. Arizona already prohibits discriminatory abortions because of an unborn baby’s race or sex.