In 2019, Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the current Republican nominee for governor in the state, sponsored legislation barring abortions at around six weeks. Asked if women who broke that law should be charged with murder, he said “yes.”
In an interview with
, Mastriano was pressed about a bill he sponsored that would generally bar abortions when a fetal heartbeat could first be detected, usually around six weeks. Mastriano’s remarks in that interview were previously unreported.was asked whether a woman who decided to get an abortion at 10 weeks gestation would be charged with murder.
"OK, let’s go back to the basic question there," Mastriano said."Is that a human being? Is that a little boy or girl? If it is, it deserves equal protection under the law."After the Supreme Court decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade, the future of abortion rights has played prominently on the campaign trail.
Shapiro has said he supports current state law, which bars the procedure after 24 weeks with exceptions. Pennsylvania's Legislature has been under GOP control for years and is likely to still be run by Republicans after this fall's election, making it a strong possibility that Mastriano would be able to sign further restrictions into law should he win this fall.
"Doug Mastriano has said his number one priority is banning abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother — and now, it’s clear he also wants to prosecute women for murder for making personal healthcare decisions," Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro’s campaign, said in a statement."Mastriano has the most extreme anti-choice position in the country — and there is no limit to how far he would go to take away Pennsylvania women’s freedom.