Watch CBS News

Florida May Face Personhood Fight Next Year

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Voters in Florida may see a preview in Mississippi of an abortion fight that could be coming to the Sunshine State next year.

Mississippi voters are about to decide on a highly controversial state constitutional amendment that would redefine personhood as "every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof."

The bill is the latest move from state legislatures seeking to circumvent the Roe vs. Wade decision and effectively end the constitutionally protected right to abortion.

But, the Mississippi bill takes it a step further.

The bill would make the morning-after pill, often given to rape victims, illegal. In addition, any birth control that could destroy fertilized eggs would be banned.

Plus, in vitro fertilization would be hampered because it would become illegal to dispose of unwanted fertilized eggs.

The group behind the amendment, Personhood USA, is planning to push for a similar measure in Florida, Montana, and Ohio in the next year.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.