The Alabama Senate Tuesday night passed a near-total ban on abortions – including cases where a female is a victim of rape or incest.
Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill Wednesday after the Senate voted in favor of the bill 25-6.
With the passing of this bill, doctors will face between 10 and 99 years in jail for performing abortions at any stage of the pregnancy, with the exception where the mother’s life is at risk.
Because this abortion bill is going directly against the Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade, it will be challenged in court.
The abortion bill’s sponsors and proponents are hoping the legislation will set up a battle in the Supreme Court to eventually overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Hill reported:
State Rep. Terri Collins (R), who sponsored the bill, told The Washington Post she empathized with survivors of rape and incest but that the exceptions were specifically left out so that the law would be strong enough to force a federal court battle.
Sixteen states have passed or are currently considering abortion bans once a fetal heartbeat is detected about six weeks into pregnancy. Four states have approved so-called heartbeat abortion laws.
However, Alabama’s is without a doubt the most restrictive abortion law in the country.
“If I were them, I would be making plans to leave Alabama,” state Sen. Vivian Figures (D) told the Post before the bill was considered. “Who is going to stay in a state like this?”
Planned Parenthood Director Bonyen Lee-Gilmore lashed out at Trump and Justice Brett Kavanaugh Wednesday in a presser.
“We have a President of the United States who willfully lies to the American people to score political points and to provide political cover for politicians who are passing extreme anti-women’s bills. With Trump in the White House and (Brett) Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court women’s health and rights are under assault like never before,” Lee-Gilmore said.
