The Alabama House voted this week to pass a measure that would forbid nearly all abortions in the state.
According to CBN News, the bill, Human Life Protection Act, would make it a Class A felony to perform an abortion at any stage in pregnancy. Punishment could range from 10 to 99 years in prison.
"When a woman is pregnant, an abortion is no longer legal," said Republican Rep. Terri Collins, the House bill's sponsor.
This week, the Alabama house voted to pass the bill even after Democrats walked out of the vote. The vote was 74-3.
Democrats in the House had tried to push through an amendment that would have allowed exemptions for rape and incest. The bill does have an exception in the case where the mother’s health is threatened.
The proposal will now move to the State Senate for consideration.
Already, the Alabama Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says they plan to challenge the bill in court if it becomes a law.
"The people of Alabama are paying the bill for unconstitutional legislation and we hope that the Senate members will realize its detrimental impact and stop this bill from becoming law. Otherwise, it will be challenged in federal court,” the chapter said in a statement.
Many believe that the Alabama bill may be used to challenge Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion in the U.S.
"The goal of this bill is to address Roe v Wade," Collins said. "I believe the Roe v Wade decision was based on a lack of information that the baby in a womb is a person."
In November 2018, Alabama voters approved anti-abortion language into the state constitution. The new language now says the state recognizes the “rights of unborn children.”
Photo courtesy: Unsplash/Michalina
