PHOENIX, March 30 (UPI) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has made her state the first in the nation to bar doctors from performing abortions based on the sex or race of the fetus.
Brewer signed House Bill 2443 making gender or race-based abortions a felony and allowing the state to take legal action against the doctor, The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday.
The new law calls for as much as seven years in prison and loss of medical license for doctors convicted of performing the outlawed procedures.
Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson said the legislation, signed into law Tuesday, is consistent with the governor's "pro-life track record."
Opponents of the measure questioned whether abortions based on sex or race are really occurring.
State Rep. Steve Montenegro said he pushed the legislation out of fear women would choose to abort because they didn't like the gender or race of a baby.
