Clock Runs Out on Alabama Abortion Ban
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MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate Bill, SB301, passed the Senate 23-7, yet was not voted on in the House before the end of the session. Last minute changes to the bill changed it from a personhood bill, which would have banned all abortions, to a ban of all surgical abortions and many chemical abortions. If the bill had passed the House, it would have been the first time in state history that all surgical abortions were outlawed since Roe v. Wade.
The original text, introduced by Senator Phil Williams (http://www NULL.legislature NULL.state NULL.al NULL.us/senate/senators/senatebios/sd010 NULL.html), read: “The term ‘persons’ as used in the Code of Alabama 1975, shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization or the functional equivalent thereof.”
The amended text read: “The term ‘persons’ as used in the Code of Alabama 1975, shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization and implantation into the womb.”
“SB301 started out on the right track, but it had a fatal flaw,” explained Jennifer Mason, spokesperson for Personhood USA (http://www NULL.personhoodusa NULL.com/). “The amended version of SB301 essentially stated that personhood begins at implantation – which we know is not the case. Embryology textbooks show that life begins at fertilization, not implantation.”
Personhood USA applauds Senator Williams for fighting for SB301 and its original text, while certain to save lives, still falls short of the high standard and goals of Personhood rights for ALL innocent human beings.
The Alabama House passed HB18, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which, according to the Alabama Department of Health, may have been able to save 79 babies in 2009. By contrast, SB301 would have saved 10,882 babies in 2009.
Ben DuPré, of Personhood Alabama (http://personhoodalabama NULL.com/) and the Foundation for Moral Law, is now calling for a Constitutional Personhood Amendment to ensure that no child is left behind.
“While we were hoping for much more from this legislative session, we are excited to see the growth of the Personhood movement here in Alabama,” explained DuPré. “A Personhood bill had never been this close to passage before in Alabama. We urge our legislators to approve a constitutional amendment next year that protects, as persons, the sanctity of every human life at every stage of biological development, including fertilization.”
Posted by admin on Monday, June 13th, 2011 @ 6:43PM
Categories: News
Tags: Abortion, Personhood
Is this a sad statement of constitutional rights being denied little citizens due to loud voices of illegal immigrants crying out in Spanish. Who will come to their defense?
Even if this law passes, how is it supposed to get past Row vs Wade not to mention federal laws protecting abortion rights? Federal law and court rulings trump state law where there is a conflict. And even if Alabama could outlaw abortion within its borders, whats to keep someone from traveling to another state to get an abortion? Detaining all pregnent women from leaving the state would bring litigation down on Alabama big time. Sounds like the Alabama government is spending a lot of time and money on something that won’t accomplish a thing.