Thursday, May 9, 2019

Criminalizing reproduction: Alabama close to passing near total ban on abortion that could send doctors to prison for 99 years, CBS News reports..."The bill provides no exceptions for rape or incest and classifies the procedure as a Class A felony in the state."


PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I have taken on the  them of criminalizing reproduction - a natural theme for a Blog concerned with  flawed science in its myriad forms  and its flawed devotees (like Charles Smith), as I am utterly opposed to the current movement in the United States and some other countries - thankfully not Canada any more - towards imprisoning women and their physicians on the basis of sham science (or any other basis). Control over their reproductive lives is far too important to women in America or anywhere else so they can  participate  equally in the economic and social life of their nations without fear for  loss their freedom at the hands of political opportunists and fanatics. I will continue to follow relevant cases such as  Purvi Patel and Bei Bei Shuai - and the mounting wave of  legislative attacks aimed at chipping away at  Roe V. Wade and ultimately dismantling it.

Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: " Though it is likely the bill will be passed, it isn't likely it will be successfully implemented before being blocked by a federal judge, as it is in clear violation of Roe v. Wade. If passed, the legislation would likely join a host of other contested laws that anti-abortion activists hope will rise to the Supreme Court and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. The proposed law flatly rejects the decision, saying "judges and legal scholars have disagreed and dissented with its finding." State Representative Terri Collins, the bill's primary sponsor, called the proposed legislation a "direct attack" on Roe v. Wade."

STORY: "Alabama could pass a near-total ban on abortion as soon as Tuesday," by reporter Kate Smith, published by CBS News on May 9, 2019.



GIST: "Alabama's near-total abortion ban legislation -- House Bill 314, the "Human Life Protection Act" -- could be passed into law as soon as Tuesday. If it passes it will be the most restrictive ban on abortion since the Supreme Court decided to legalize and protect the procedure nationwide with its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The bill provides no exceptions for rape or incest and classifies the procedure as a Class A felony in the state. That means a doctor caught performing abortions in Alabama would face up to 99 years in prison. The rape and incest clause was the subject of a fiery interaction on Thursday morning when Will Ainsworth, the Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, moved to reject an amendment that sought to include an exception for the two situations. Senate Majority Leader Bobby Singleton challenged the quick decision, leading to an angry exchange between the two politicians. If the amendment had been added, the bill would have gone back to the House for a vote, leading to a delay. Though it is likely the bill will be passed, it isn't likely it will be successfully implemented before being blocked by a federal judge, as it is in clear violation of Roe v. Wade. If passed, the legislation would likely join a host of other contested laws that anti-abortion activists hope will rise to the Supreme Court and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. The proposed law flatly rejects the decision, saying "judges and legal scholars have disagreed and dissented with its finding." State Representative Terri Collins, the bill's primary sponsor, called the proposed legislation a "direct attack" on Roe v. Wade. "The heart of this bill is to confront a decision that was made by the courts in 1973 that said the baby in the womb is not a person," Collins said last week when the Alabama House debated the legislation. "This bill addresses that one issue. Is that baby in the womb a person? I believe our law says it is." The legislation has been criticized by Jewish activists and abortion rights groups for comparing lives lost in the Holocaust to abortions. "
 
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alabama-abortion-law-near-total-ban-on-abortion-could-be-passed-as-soon-as-tuesday-by-alabama-senate-2019-05-09/