COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) - One of the most controversial upcoming bills at the statehouse is the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which would define abortion as homicide. If passed, the bill would allow the death penalty for abortions. State Representative Josiah Magnuson said this would be the toughest pro-life bill in the country. The Prenatal Equal Protection Act will amend state laws and broaden the definition of a person, to include an unborn child at any stage of development. The current policy in South Carolina is that women can have an abortion within the first six weeks of pregnancy. Magnuson said it's important for the “unborn” to have equal rights. "Every person has a right to justice, so it treats all murder the same, beginning with the unborn child, all parties to the crime would be punished under this bill," he said. Magnuson said many people slam this bill for the wrong reasons. "Often this bill is criticized that it's a prosecution of women bill, but what it is is a prosecution of intentional abortion," Magnuson said. "If a woman commits an abortion or if a man coerces her to commit an abortion or conspires to commit an abortion, all of those parties would be prosecuted, but only for an intentional abortion, where there's evidence to prove that it happened." Vicki Ringer, Public Affairs Director at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said South Carolinians do not want this. "It's an issue for women and their doctors, but yet legislators are dictating when women can get abortions," Ringer said. "Exceptions are not allowed." Ringer said Republican lawmakers like Magnuson need to understand that conservative women have abortions too. "I don't believe for a minute that it will pass, but it does give you a sense of really how republicans feel about women," Ringer continued. "Let's give them the death penalty if they seek to control their own bodies by having an abortion." Magnuson said he hopes lawmakers will see that the bill has language that protects mothers with medical emergencies. State Representative Jay Kilmartin was originally a co-sponsor of the bill. Rep. Kilmartin said he plans on removing his name from the bill and is in the process of pre-filing a new bill of his own, that has more specific details.