Bill to restrict abortion passes Senate; likely to fail in House

ATLANTA - The Georgia Senate approved a bill Friday that would require a 24-hour waiting period before getting an abortion, but the likelihood of it passing the House and becoming law remains slim. <br> <br> ``The members over here would take a hard look at any legislation that retreats on a woman&#39;s right to choose,&#39;&#39; said Rep. Calvin Smyre, chairman of the House Rules Committee. <br> <br> The Senate bill, sponsored by Republican Don Cheeks of Augusta, would also require doctors to advise women about the physical and emotional risks of having an abortion; about adoption possibilities; and about their legal rights if they decide they want to keep their child. <br> <br> Senators held lengthy debates on the bill stretching nearly six hours over Thursday and Friday with the final vote, 34-18, generally along party lines. <br> <br> Republicans control the Senate and the governor&#39;s mansion for the first time in more than a century, but Democrats still control the House. <br> <br> ``I believe in my heart of hearts that life is a gift from heaven and that innocent life is a gift that we have to protect,&#39;&#39; said Republican Sen. Preston Smith of Rome, who voted for the bill. <br> <br> Republican Ralph Hudgens from Comer said he wasn&#39;t sure why Democrats were against the 24-hour waiting period. <br> <br> ``All we are talking about is a simple waiting period,&#39;&#39; he said. ``This bill is focused on when she can have this abortion. All it says is that she has to wait 24 hours.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Democrats spent hours speaking against the bill and introduced numerous failed amendments to weaken the legislation. <br> <br> Sen. David Adelman, D-Atlanta, offered an amendment to require pregnancy clinics to post notices outside their buildings if they do not advise women of their right to have an abortion. <br> <br> In many cases, women are lured to clinics that purport to offer pregnancy counseling only to be shown anti-abortion propaganda to scare them out of having an abortion, he said. <br> <br> ``If we are going to present that this new law is about being informed, then we need to make sure that the state-mandated information is not skewed,&#39;&#39; Adelman said. <br> <br> Democratic Sen. Nadine Thomas of Decatur said the bill suggests women are too ignorant to decide on something as personal as abortion. <br> <br> ``I thank God that we have a body across the hall (in the House), and a leader across the hall that is going to stop the madness in here,&#39;&#39; Thomas said. <br> <br> Rep. Tom Bordeaux, a Democrat from Savannah and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he was not inclined to support the bill. <br> <br> ``This sounds like it&#39;s designed to discourage, threaten and harass women into not having an abortion,&#39;&#39; he said. ``Informed consent is one thing, but harassment is quite another. That&#39;s what this sounds like.&#39;&#39;