News this week suggests Georgia is keeping its pro-life statutes consistent. Abortion is illegal in the Peach State after a preborn baby’s heartbeat is detected, and last week the state’s department of revenue announced that it is recognizing these preborn babies (fetuses about six weeks old) as persons, meaning parents don’t have to wait until their little ones are born for them to count as tax-deductible dependents. Now parents can claim $3,000 for each preborn child in their 2022 taxes. One might say the state is putting its money where its mouth is.

Preborn Georgia babies are also eligible for child support, making Georgia one of the most consistently pro-life states. “Georgia’s personhood provision is, for now, the most expansive,” reports the Washington Post. “Not only does it grant tax breaks for fetuses, but it also requires that they be included in some population counts. It also imposes child support ‘on the father of an unborn child’—amounting to the ‘direct medical and pregnancy related expenses of the mother.’”

While Georgia may be leading the charge with its broad pro-life legislation, it isn’t the only state to implement this type of policy. Last year, Michigan passed a law making preborn babies eligible for a tax credit after 12 weeks.

A move toward greater support to expectant moms

This move by Georgia is significant, not only because it acknowledges the humanity of the unborn but also because it will deliver financial support to expectant mothers. Ironically, pro-abortion advocates have criticized legislation designed to help mothers because it doesn’t suit their political goals.

Regarding attempts in Congress to pass similar legislation, Forbes reports, “Abortion rights advocates have heavily criticized federal efforts to give benefits to fetuses, arguing that while the tax credits may be beneficial, the bill is designed to let Republicans insert fetal personhood rights into federal law that could then be used to justify other restrictions on reproductive rights.”

Our current U.S. Congress may not be able to pass pro-life legislation, but Georgia’s pro-life regulations set an example for other states. A Texas mom recently went viral for arguing that she should be able to drive in the H.O.V. lane while pregnant. And while it’s unclear whether or not she’ll have to pay her $275 ticket, her stance did raise questions about how the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the expansion of pro-life laws will affect the benefits we give pregnant mothers in other ways.

It goes to show that when states recognize the right to life of preborn babies, they must also recognize their personhood overall, especially in any way that reduces the financial burden on expectant mothers, who deserve as much support as moms with children outside the womb.