Alabama abortion law: Here’s what to know about the state’s recently-passed law Dillon Thompson for Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a bill proposing a near-total ban on abortions that would essentially prohibit the procedure statewide.
Under the law, performing an abortion would be considered a Class A felony, which carries a sentence of life or 10 to 99 years in prison.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, was passed by the Alabama House last month.
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The Alabama vote comes just more than a week after Georgia passed its own “fetal heartbeat” bill, which is now one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the nation.
Here’s everything you need to know about Alabama’s recently-passed abortion law, what it contains and what happens now that it’s passed in the Senate.
Alabama abortion law: Alabama abortion bill: Senate sends near-total ban to governor
What are the details of the Alabama abortion law?
Rep. Terri Collins, the bill’s sponsor, says the abortion bill aims to create a legal challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down state bans on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Alabama state law currently outlaws abortion after 20 weeks into the pregnancy, unless it’s to protect the women’s health or in cases involving rape or incest. The new bill would remove that 20-week restriction, essentially outlawing abortions entirely.
In addition to making performing an abortion a Class A felony, the bill would also make attempting to perform one a Class C felony. The resulting penalty for an attempted abortion under the new law would be a prison sentence of one to 10 years.
Does the law include exceptions for rape and incest?
Earlier this week, Senate Democrats introduced provisions to the bill that would allow for exceptions in cases involving rape or incest. Those provisions were rejected in the Senate on Tuesday, though, meaning the bill will move forward without any such exceptions.
