Arizona's Senate passed a bill that, if it becomes law, would make it a crime to abort based on the sex or race of a fetus. House Bill 2443 would make it a felony for a doctor to perform such an abortion; it was already passed by the House, but the Senate amended it to include tougher penalties. It must now go back to the House before heading to Gov. Jan Brewer's desk, the Arizona Republic reports.
Republicans claim that statistics show sex-selective abortions are increasing and that abortion clinics intentionally set up shop in minority neighborhoods; Democrats disagree: One state senator calls the bill "one of the most offensive, odious pieces of legislation I have ever seen." A Republican state senator explains that women should support the measure because it protects them, adding that "it's a way to pre-empt what's happening in China and India." Click for another proposed Arizona abortion bill that could shutter the University of Arizona's OB-GYN program. (More Arizona stories.)