Add Luke Skywalker and Princess Amidala to the list of people who may protest and boycott Georgia if its governor signs a bill to ban abortions.
Actress Mark Hamill and Natalie Portman have signed the letter sponsored by actress Alyssa Milano threatening to boycott movie and television productions in the state of Georgia if a bill that would ban abortions when an unborn baby’s heartbeat begins it’s signed into law by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
Stars like Ben Stiller, Mia Farrow, Debra Messing, and Minnie Driver have all signed the letter along with Alec Baldwin, Amy Schumer, Rosie O’Donnell, Sean Penn and others.
New signees include Brie Larson, Patricia Arquette, and Portman and Hamill.
.@brielarson, @PattyArquette, @1SpencerGarrett, @amysmart26, @MelissaJPeltier @GraceParra360, @halfadams, @Slack2thefuture, @mrrickywhittle, @eorlins & #NataliePortman are also telling @BrianKempGA, that #HB481IsBadForBusiness. There are now over 100 signers. pic.twitter.com/tsGTzX6xLf
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 1, 2019
“We will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women if H.B. 481 becomes law,” the letter states.
“We can’t imagine being elected officials who had to say to their constituents, ‘I enacted a law that was so evil, it chased billions of dollars out of our state’s economy.’ It’s not the most effective campaign slogan, but rest assured we’ll make it yours should it come to pass.”
The Writers Guilds of America East and West slammed the bill as “draconian” and said it could cause many in the film industry to leave the state, Breitbart reports. Georgia is a popular filming location for TV and movies.
The state Senate passed the heartbeat bill (House Bill 481) recently. It would ban abortions on an unborn baby after their heartbeat is detectable, around six weeks. It would allow exceptions for rape, incest and threats to the mother’s life. In addition, the bill would allow parents to claim unborn babies as dependents on their taxes and include the unborn baby in census data. It also would allow mothers to collect child support for pregnancy and delivery costs from the father prior to the baby’s birth.
The Writers Guilds statement followed a few days later.
“HB 481 is a draconian anti-choice measure that would in essence constitute a state-wide ban on abortion since a fetal heartbeat is usually detectable approximately six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women are aware they are pregnant or have had reasonable time to consider their options,” the guild said in a statement Tuesday.
“This law would make Georgia an inhospitable place for those in the film and television industry to work, including our members,” it continued. “If the Georgia Legislature and Gov. Kemp make HB 481 law, it is entirely possible that many of those in our industry will either want to leave the state or decide not to bring productions there. Such is the potential cost of a blatant attack on every woman’s right to control her own body.”
HELP LIFENEWS SAVE BABIES FROM ABORTION! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation!
The guild urged Gov. Brian Kemp to veto the bill, but Kemp is solidly pro-life.
Kemp told WTOC News 11 that the pressure from Hollywood will not change his mind, and he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
“I do not think it will hurt the film industry in Georgia or any other business whatsoever,” Kemp said. “Us sticking up for our Georgia values and protecting life is not going to protect a bad business environment in Georgia, I can promise you.”
The Hill reports films such as “The Hunger Games” and TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Stranger Things” were filmed in Georgia. More than 450 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to state data.
Pro-life lawmakers have introduced a number of heartbeat bills this year including in Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Some pro-lifers have renewed hope that the new conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court will uphold an abortion ban and overturn Roe v. Wade. Others, however, are hesitant because of concerns about losing the court battle and being forced to reimburse pro-abortion groups for their legal fees.
Recently, a federal judge blocked Kentucky’s new heartbeat bill.
