State Rep. Emory Dunahoo (R-Gillsville) says he is once again ready to try to get the state legislature, which convenes Monday, to pass his right-to-life bill that would stiffen the penalties for violating the state’s abortion bills that are already on the books including the so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” which bans abortions after six-weeks of pregnancy.
Commenting on GLORY 97.5’s Community Focus last week, Dunahoo said his Prenatal Equal Protection Act would offer some “leeway” when it comes to a pregnancy that results from rape or incest and if it’s determined that a woman’s life would be in danger should she continue to carry the baby.
And to those opponents of the bill who say any woman should have a choice, he says “Well, you did have a choice, but you got pregnant.” Passage of the bill also means that a woman could be charged with murder if she gets an abortion, but Dunahoo added not everyone will face such a charge, adding that like the cases of rape and incest, penalties would be decided on a case-by-case basis.
“If you believe in God’s word, life starts at conception, “he added in defending his proposal.
Dunahoo, whose district includes Hall and parts of Jackson counties, says he also plans to work toward getting an increase in the homestead exemption for Jackson County residents, something that has not been addressed in 30 years. The bill would also allow those 65 and older to freeze their tax bills.
Regarding the recent redistricting session of the legislature, Dunahoo defended the end result, saying the majority Republicans did favor their own party with “a little bit of ‘home cooking ‘” whereas Democrats had they been in control would have turned out “a whole lot” of home cooking. The majority party in Georgia – be it Democrats or the GOP – has a history of tending to favor it’s own members.
As we’ve already reported, Dunahoo also told Community Forum host Mike Wofford that his plans are to seek re-election this year but not to run for his post again should he be returned to office. ‘I think I’m done, pretty much’ 97.5 Glory FM | North Georgia’s Family Radio Station (wgtjradio.com)
OTHER ISSUES
Other issues also expected to highlight the session include, of course, the state budget which is actually the only thing the legislature is constitutionally obligated to consider when it meets; lowering the personal income tax rate; a school voucher plan; a proposal to offer a $10,000 incentive to teachers who agree to arm themselves while in the classroom; modification of the Certificate of Need (CON) law that governs whether new healthcare facilities are allowed to open; and expansion of Medicaid.