Mississippi lawmakers move forward on 20-week abortion ban

By Emily Le Coz JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) – Mississippi lawmakers took steps to become the latest U.S. state to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy by passing a measure on Thursday that seeks to further restrict access to the procedure. Legislation approved by the state’s House of Representatives in a 89-22 vote asserts that a fetus can feel pain by 20 weeks of gestation, halfway through a full-term pregnancy, and that the state has a duty to protect the unborn child. Republican Governor Phil Bryant is expected to sign the bill into law. This is “another strong step for life in Mississippi,” Bryant said on his Facebook page after the vote on Thursday.