00:00A proposed law in Mississippi would make it illegal for men to masturbate.
00:04The law is called the Contraception Begins at Erection Act,
00:07and it would make it unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material
00:11without the intent to fertilize an embryo.
00:13Offenders would be fined up to $10,000.
00:16The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee on Monday.
00:19If this sounds like a prank, it basically is, but one intended to make a point.
00:24The bill was filed by Democratic State Senator Bradford Blackman.
00:27He told Newsweek that the bill's purpose is to point out the double standards in legislation,
00:32saying,
00:33According to health policy non-profit KFF, abortion is effectively banned in Mississippi.
00:49NBC News reports that Blackman's bill is unlikely to pass.
00:53But if his intent was to bring attention to reproductive rights issues,
00:56he seems to have succeeded at that.
