It's hard to believe that S.B. 282 has actually made it past the Montana House and Senate and has a chance of becoming law.

Republicans in Montana want to make abortion a homicide,and they are close to getting their wish. According to bill S.B. 282, a fetus is viable at 24 weeks and abortions would be illegal after that point—even in cases of medical emergencies. Under this proposed law, a doctor who provides an abortion past this point could be charged with homicide. The bill is on its way to Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, having passed both the House and Senate earlier this month. It was sponsored by Republican state Rep. Theresa Manzella who believes it is the state’s responsibility to provide protection for all human beings and viable human life.

Of course, Manzella does not believe that this same right of protection extends to adult women who can and should be able to make medical decisions for themselves without the interference of the state. Somehow grown women with decision-making autonomy get left out of this whole equation. Imagine that.

Manzella and her conservative colleagues are leveraging S.B. 282 to advocate for questionably viable fetuses at the expense of (undeniably viable) pregnant women. Most people who have later term abortions do so out of necessity, not flippancy. Discounting this reality oversimplifies the complexities of such a situation and infantilizes people by confiscating their bodily autonomy. What’s more, forcing a patient to undergo a major surgical procedure like a C-section out of political ideology — not medical necessity — is dangerous and unethical.

Though this is scary and wildly inappropriate, it is not guaranteed to become law. While Montana lawmakers seem to have a history of trying to reduce women’s access to choice, they have not been successful in the past.