Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is not saying when he may sign the controversial “heartbeat” bill, which would restrict abortions in Georgia.
The governor supports the bill passed by Georgia lawmakers during the recently completed legislative session.
“We value life in our state,” Governor Kemp told WSB’s Scott Slade on “Atlanta’s Morning News.”
The governor said he is not concerned about talk of an economic boycott, if he signs the measure. “I don’t believe there will be dire consequences for supporting life in our state,” Kemp told WSB.
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Some in Hollywood are threatening to stop film shoots in Georgia to protest.
Actress Alyssa Milano is leading the effort. She says the measure is “unconstitutional.”
As for when he may sign it, Governor Kemp said, “We really haven’t set a date for any of the bills to sign yet.” He told AMN, “We’ve got a thorough review process that we go through on every bill just to make sure there’s nothing in there that we missed.”
While Kemp said he’s “In no real hurry” to sign any piece of legislation, he told WSB the deadline is May 10.
The bill would ban most abortions in Georgia, as soon as a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat, which usually occurs about six weeks into a pregnancy.
“The abortion issue is a very tough issue,” Kemp said. “Even if you don’t agree with the legislation that was passed, you can certainly agree we value life in our state.”
After the bill was passed, The Writers Guild of America released a statement saying if Kemp signs the law “It’s entirely possible that many of those in our industry will either want to leave the state or decide not to bring productions there.”