Alabama Senate takes a stand for life, approves nation’s strongest pro-life law

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Pro-life baby

On Tuesday, the Alabama State Senate approved the strongest pro-life law in the nation, by a 25-6 vote, with one abstention.

House Bill 314, sponsored by Decatur-Republican, State Rep. Terri Collins, establishes the personhood of the baby in the womb and criminalizes surgical abortions as soon as a pregnancy can be medically determined, in almost all cases except if a doctor determines that the pregnancy poses a serious health risk to the mother.

“Roe v. Wade has ended the lives of millions of children. While we cannot undo the damage that decades of legal precedence under Roe has caused, this bill has the opportunity to save the lives of millions of unborn children,” said Pratville-Republican, State Sen. Clyde Chambliss, who sponsored HB314 in the Senate. “Life and liberty are not man given; they are given by our Creator. Today, Alabama made clear that we will protect our rights and the rights of our unborn children.”

“In 1973, unelected judges on the Supreme Court cut short the vigorous national debate over abortion, and imposed a top-down, abortion-on-demand agenda on the entire country. Advances in science since 1973, particularly in ultrasound technology, shows what we know intuitively – a baby in the womb is a person,” Chambliss continued.

Unless there is a serious health risk to the mother, the bill would make it a Class A felony for a doctor to perform an abortion, punishable by life or 10 to 99 years in prison, and a Class C felony for attempting to perform an abortion, punishable by one to 10 years in prison.

“In November, the voters of Alabama overwhelmingly approved Amendment Two to declare Alabama a pro-life state, and the State Legislature is now carrying out the express will of the people, which is to protect the sanctity of life,” Jasper-Republican, Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed added. “HB314 simply recognizes that an unborn baby is a child who deserves protection — and despite the best efforts of abortion proponents, this bill will become law because Alabamians stand firmly on the side of life.”  

House Bill 314 was approved 74-3 by the Alabama House of Representatives back on April 30. Representative Collins praised the State Senate for approving HB314.

“This bill is about challenging Roe v. Wade and protecting the lives of the unborn, because an unborn baby is a person who deserves love and protection,” Collins said.

What happens next

The bill now moves to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. Should she sign the bill it is all but guaranteed that it will be challenged in court.