State Accidentally Pass Bill Which Means Pregnant Women Can Legally Murder

Pregnant women in New Hampshire almost found themselves allowed to get away with murder, as a bill was passed that gave them impunity.

The Independent reports that Republican legislators, didn't read the fine print on the New Hampshire Senate Bill 66, which considers fetuses people in murder or manslaughter cases.

Credit: PA

If someone kills a fetus over 20 weeks old, in a car crash for example, they're punished and convicted of either murder or manslaughter, however, many saw that as a sort of ban on abortion.

Part of the bill was rewritten following complaints from women's rights activists, which exempted pregnant women seeking abortion from punishment, according to the Indy.

Somehow though, instead of just letting women or a doctor carry out an abortion, it also let pregnant women and their doctor get away with second-degree murder, manslaughter, negligent homicide and aiding suicide.

"The bill as drafted allows for physician-assisted suicide and allows a pregnant woman to commit homicide without consequences," Republican Representative JR Hoell told the Concord Monitor.

The error was only noticed after it was passed, forcing members of Congress to vote to change the language used, the Independent reports.

"No one in this chamber voted to allow anyone to be able to murder anyone," Republican House Majority Leader Dick Hinch said. "That was not the intent."

Senator Martha Hennessey said: "Senate Bill 66 puts New Hampshire on the dangerous path to recognising fetal personhood in our laws."

Governor Chris Sununu is expected to sign off the new version of the law.