AMC Executive on The Walking Dead Leaving Georgia Following Abortion Laws

AMC may be forced to follow through on their promise to “reevaluate our activity” in Georgia with The Walking Dead should a new law be approved which would ban abortions after a certain point in pregnancies. Now, Sarah Barnett, president of entertainment networks at AMC Networks, has opened up about the restrictive bill and supports AMC’s possible abandoning of their Georgia post.

“I’m very, very glad that our company issued a statement that said if this restrictive legislation goes into law, then we will reconsider our activity in Georgia,” Barnett told the Banff World Media Festival (via THR). The sentiment comes after AMC previously released a statement in which they promised to take a close look at the situation and move forward after careful decision based on the outcome of the bills.

“I personally consider this a civil rights issue. If women don’t have reproductive autonomy, we can’t participate in society. That’s my personal perspective,” Barnett added. “At this particular moment, I personally feel that any attempt to roll back rights that have been acquired is not good for gender equality.”

By the sound of it, Barnett likely hopes the production decision won’t reach such a point in the first place. “It really is like a family, with relationships built with people who have worked on the show for a long time,” she said of the Georgia community.

“If this highly restrictive legislation goes into effect, we will reevaluate our activity in Georgia,” the AMC Networks company said in a statement. “Similar bills – some even more restrictive – have passed in multiple states and have been challenged. This is likely to be a long and complicated fight and we are watching it all very closely.”

The Walking Dead is currently in production of its tenth season in Georgia. It began production as a series in Georgia in 2010.

The Walking Dead returns for its tenth season in October. Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm ET on AMC.