Georgia Republicans Pass Legislation to Restrict Access to Reproductive Health Care, Even as Georgia Ranks Among 10 Worst States for Women

Georgia Republicans marked the beginning of Women’s History Month by passing SB 456, a dangerous bill that limits access to reproductive health care, even as a new study released today ranks Georgia among the ten worst states in the U.S. for women – especially in health care. This followed a study last month showing that Georgia also ranks among the ten worst states to raise a family. 

Thanks to Republicans’ relentless attacks on health care and reproductive rights, Georgia ranks:

• 30th in women’s preventive health care
• 39th in women’s life expectancy at birth
• 40th in share of women in poverty
• 46th in infant mortality rate
• 48th in uninsured rate among women

Despite these studies illustrating the disastrous impact of GOP leadership on Georgia women and families, Republicans in the Georgia Senate still passed SB 456 today, the latest in the Georgia GOP’s campaign to restrict Georgians’ access to reproductive care – including efforts by Brian Kemp and Chris Carr to ban abortion and overturn Roe v. Wade. SB 456 would enact burdensome requirements for anyone who wants to access safe, FDA-approved medication abortion and force them to undergo invasive and unnecessary physical exams.

On top of their relentless anti-abortion campaign in Georgia, Brian Kemp and Republicans have also stubbornly refused to expand Medicaid – which would provide healthcare to 646,000 more Georgians.

“Republicans’ gift to Georgia women on the first day of Women’s History Month is yet another shameless attack on access to health care,” said Rebecca Galanti, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “From restricting reproductive health care access to refusing to expand Medicaid, Republicans have time and again put politics ahead of the health and wellbeing of women and all Georgians. Under Republican leadership, Georgia will continue ranking among the worst states for women and worst states to raise kids. We must elect more leaders committed to increasing access to health care – not deliberately obstructing it.”

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