A look at personhood measures and their impact around the country

When is a human embryo not simply a clump of cells but a person with distinct legal rights? The answer, which holds much consequence in a post-Roe world, depends on the state where that embryo resides.A Georgia law enacted in 2022 considers people to be “homo sapiens at any stage of development that is carried in the womb.” In Alaska, a bill before state lawmakers defines a person as an “entity that has the moral right of self-determination.” And in West Virginia, a measure moving through the legislature defines a person as a “divinely created” being entitled to “equal…