There’s just no good reason for legislators in Augusta to oppose a bill sponsored by Senate President Beth Edmonds to increase the penalties for violent crimes committed against pregnant women.

On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee voted unanimously in favor of L.D. 844, “An Act to Protect Motherhood.” Such strong bipartisan support is a good indicator of the good this bill is trying to do.

It instructs judges to give special weight to homicide, manslaughter, elevated aggravated assault and aggravated assault when the victims are pregnant.

Writing in the Sun Journal’s Perspective section about the bill in February, Edmonds cited frightening statistics about domestic violence: Between 8 and 15 percent of all pregnant women in the United States are battered by men, with pregnant adolescents the most frequent target.

L.D. 844 gives judges the tool they need to increase the punishment of the vultures who prey upon pregnant women, and it rightly keeps the focus of law enforcement protection in the right place, on the woman who has been victimized.

This bill won’t stop violence against pregnant women. It will, however, make the price much higher for abusers and help the state gather better information about assaults. That’s a start.