All across America, states are voting on draconian abortion law reforms that threaten the right to safe, legal terminations.

These laws, known as the Heartbeat Bill, promote an abortion ban from as early as six weeks – when most women don’t even know that they are pregnant. Some 14 states have passed new laws, some protecting abortion rights while others restricting them and a further 12 states are considering new laws. The number of states that have restricted abortion rights is six, including a newly passed Heartbeat Bill in Louisiana. That state’s Democratic governor has pledged that he will cross party lines to vote to approve the bill when it crosses his desk this week.

“As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone,” Governor John Edwards said in a statement.

Aside from Louisiana, the states that have received the most news coverage are Alabama and Georgia, which both passed variations on the Heartbeat Bill this year. Alabama’s is the most restrictive, rendering abortion illegal in all cases including rape and incest. Doctors who perform abortions could face legal punishment greater than those found guilty of rape. In Georgia, the bill focuses on stopping terminations after the six week fetal heartbeat test, and the state has faced heavy criticism from the Hollywood film industry as it is the location of several film productions. Both these states’ governors have signed the bill into law.

How can the American abortion ban be stopped?