The bill's sponsor, state Republican Rep. Phil Jensen, had said that the language allowing an exception in the law to those who kill "in the lawful defense of ... his or her husband, wife, parent, child, master, mistress, or servant, or the unborn child of any such enumerated person," was meant to help protect unborn victims of domestic violence. However, pro-abortion forces had said that the bill would allow for the murder of abortionists who legally kill unborn children.
Although Jensen responded to the uproar by offering new language restricting the law's scope to "unlawful" harm against unborn babies, consideration of the bill was postponed indefinitely on Wednesday.