The new 20-week abortion ban in Georgia became so controversial that it may even have provoked violence against abortion providers and doctors who spoke out against it.  However, now ban supporters may see themselves suffering repercussions as well, as the bill’s primary sponsor sees it become a key issue in his primary race.

Rep. Doug McKillip, who almost allowed the whole bill to die because of his unwillingness to add an exception for ending a pregnancy with fetal anomalies incompatible with life, is being challenged by lawyer Regina Quick in the Republican primary. Quick is calling McKillip’s bill a legal nightmare. McKillip is calling her “pro-abortion.”

Via Online Athens:

The 20-week limit for abortions in McKillip’s bill goes against the accepted legal standard of viability, the 23- or 24-week mark when a fetus has a 50-50 chance of surviving outside the womb, according to Quick, who practices family law.

“It’s at that point that the baby has a fighting chance in this world,” she said.

McKillip, though, said viability is a flawed standard because, as medicine improves, fetuses can survive earlier and earlier.

“There’s kids that have been born at 19 weeks, so she needs to do her research into what viability means,” he said.

Less than 10 percent of babies born at 22 weeks survive, and babies born earlier and living is almost unheard of, according to several medical organizations. By 26 weeks, currently the cutoff for abortions in Georgia, 85 percent survive.

McKillip equated opposition to House Bill 954 to supporting abortion rights.

“If she is against 954, she is basically pro-late term abortions,” he said. “She believes in abortion on demand, and she is pro-choice.”

The Republican primary is July 31st.