Alabama abortion law passed on Tuesday – it bans all abortions except if there is a serious health risk to the mother, no exceptions for rape and incest

The State of Alabama sent on Tuesday night the most restrictive abortion bill to Alabama’s Republican governor’s desk, Kay Ivey – who is anti-abortion and is expected to sign it – while the state’s Senate passed legislation by a vote of 25-6 that could punish doctors who perform abortions with life in prison.

The bill basically outlaws performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy and allows an exception only when the woman’s health is at serious risk, for an ectopic pregnancy, and if the “unborn child has a lethal anomaly”. However, there is no exception for rape and incest even though Democrats re-introduced an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims but the motion failed on an 11-21 vote.

Alabama is not the only state that has recently banned abortion, Georgia also recently passed a fetal heartbeat bill that bans abortion after about six weeks into pregnancy, so early into gestation that many women may not yet know they are pregnant, these are also being challenged in the courts.

Plus, the law will only take effect six months after being signed by the governor but most probably will face legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups which have vowed to sue. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have already declared they:

“Will file a lawsuit to stop this unconstitutional ban and protect every woman’s right to make her own choice about her healthcare, her body, and her future. This bill will not take effect anytime in the near future, and abortion will remain a safe, legal medical procedure at all clinics in Alabama.”

While Staci Fox, the president of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates, stated: “Alabama politicians will forever live in infamy for this vote. In the coming days we will be mounting the fight of our lives – we will take this to court and ensure abortion remains safe and legal.” However, by taking this to court a fierce legal battle would be ignited that anti-abortion campaigners hope will lead to the Supreme Court, and eventually result in overturning Roe vs Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.