Georgia bill banning abortion pills by mail advances

bruce thompson
Georgia state Sen. Bruce Thompson, a Republican from White, poses for a portrait at the Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, in Atlanta. Thompson on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 introduced a bill that would ban abortion pills from being delivered by mail in Georgia and require a physician to perform a physical exam and ultrasound 24 hours before dispensing the pills. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Georgia Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban the delivery of abortion pills by mail and require women to be examined by a physician in person before the pills are dispensed.

The state Senate’s health and human services committee voted 7-5 in favor of the legislation after an expedited hearing that drew abortion opponents and supporters. The bill would still need approval from the state Senate and House before it could become law.

More than a dozen other Republican-led states have passed measures limiting access to the pills, including outlawing delivery by mail. The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court recently signaled it was ready to make seismic changes to the nationwide right to abortion that has stood for nearly half a century. If the court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision entirely, GOP-controlled states such as Georgia would be likely to severely restrict abortion access, potentially causing more women to seek out abortion pills by mail.