Today, on the anniversary of the disastrous Dobbs decision, a reminder that Rick Jackson has revealed that he would require women to prove they have been raped before accessing reproductive healthcare.
First reported in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Jackson admitted to a voter that he would “basically make [abortion] against the law” – and shockingly revealed he would go even further, requiring women to prove they were raped in order to have an abortion.
This comes as Jackson had also previously admitted he would “absolutely confirm” a total abortion ban if one was brought to his desk as governor.
“Rick Jackson has made clear in no uncertain terms that he believes Georgia women should be forced to prove they were raped before accessing reproductive healthcare. That’s disturbing, dangerous, and flatly disqualifying,” said Democratic Party of Georgia spokesperson Jake Strickland.
While Rick Jackson pushes a total abortion ban, Georgia already has one of the most restrictive laws in the country. As a result:
- A 2024 ProPublica investigation uncovered that two Georgia women – Amber Thurman and Candi Miller – died as a direct result of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban – and both deaths were later deemed preventable by the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
- Georgia’s abortion ban has also threatened to worsen the state’s OBGYN shortage, with WSB-TV reporting that a 2025 survey of OBYGNs across the state revealed “doctors fearing prosecution for treating pregnancy-related emergencies, doctors leaving Georgia, and some [who] said they’ve stopped practicing altogether.”
- Georgia’s ban has also worsened the state’s maternal mortality crisis, with Emory University reporting that “Georgia’s maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the country and that “states that have restricted abortion have […] higher rates of maternal mortality and infant death, particularly among women of color.”
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