Abortion rights advocates highlight a surge in 2025 bills across 10 states—Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas—aiming to classify embryos/fetuses as “unborn” or “preborn children” eligible for homicide charges against those seeking abortions. Most states already enforce near-total or six-week bans; these remove protections for pregnant individuals, with narrow exceptions like life-saving maternal care.
Status and Outlook
Three bills (Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma) failed; others face low passage odds due to unpopularity, even among some conservatives. Post-Dobbs (2022), such proposals recur more often, signaling fetal personhood pushes—echoed in Trump’s recent executive order tying sex to conception. Experts like UC Davis’s Mary Ziegler note rising viability but persistent division.
Broader Impact
Groups like Center for Reproductive Rights call it “alarming,” especially in death-penalty states like South Carolina, predicting normalized criminalization. Reports show 210 pregnancy-related charges post-Dobbs, targeting self-managed abortions. Providers face heat too—e.g., Texas midwife arrested March 17. Advocates warn it’s the anti-abortion “end game,” with bills resurfacing yearly despite failures.
