By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Monday. May 9, the politically powerful pro-abortion group NARAL sent a letter to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) asking that he veto two Pro-Life bills passed by the Alabama legislature on the last day of the 2016 legislative session. Pro-Life supporters in Alabama are similarly urging the Governor to sign the two bills, SB363 and SB205.
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue wrote in her letter to Gov. Bentley, “Instead of focusing on divisive and unjustly targeted restrictions like these, we can and should seek a common ground,” wrote Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “There is much to be done to improve women’s health in Alabama, including enhanced access to prenatal care, which can prevent health complications during pregnancy and therefore reduce the need for abortion. These bills—that criminalize and stigmatize abortion—fail to achieve these commonsense goals.”
NARAL described the two bills as, “extreme, anti-choice bills.” “NARAL Pro-Choice America urged Governor Robert Bentley to stand up for women and families in the State and veto the measures. The bills, SB363 and SB205, passed through the state legislature last week and are currently awaiting action by the governor. One of the bills, SB363, would ban one of the safest and most commonly used second trimester abortion procedure without an adequate exception for women’s health. The other bill, SB205, is intended to close a specific abortion clinic in Huntsville by prohibiting the issuing or renewing of licenses for abortion clinics located within 2,000 feet of a public school. This medically unnecessary regulation places restrictions similar in scope to those the state places on convicted sex offenders.”
Cheryl Ringuette Ciamarra with National Right to Life wrote to Pro-Life activists, “Although the bill was passed last Wednesday we have not received confirmation that it has been signed, please take a moment to click here to send an email asking him to sign ASAP! NARAL is calling asking him NOT to!
Alabamians For Life wrote, “Prayer and action needed to let Governor Bentley know you support the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act passed by the Alabama Legislature just a few days ago. Ask him to sign it into law as soon as possible.” “This law is totally constitutional and one that can be upheld even with our current divided US Supreme Court. In his dissent to the US Supreme Court’s 2000 Stenberg v. Carhart decision, Justice Kennedy observed that in D&E dismemberment abortions, “The fetus, in many cases, dies just as a human adult or child would: It bleeds to death as it is torn limb from limb. The fetus can be alive at the beginning of the dismemberment process and can survive for a time while its limbs are being torn off.” Justice Kennedy added in the Court’s 2007 opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart that D&E abortions are “laden with the power to devalue human life…”
The Pro-Life group continued, “The opposition from the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the liberal black caucus was very vocal during the house floor debate. Governor Robert Bentley needs to know you want this legislation signed into law. One click here will let him know you want the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act passed by the Alabama Legislature signed into law. This will outlaw dismemberment abortions in Alabama which are performed after 12 weeks. Alabama will become the 5th state in the nation to outlaw this brutal procedure.”
A personhood bill was defeated when there were not enough Republicans left in the chamber to cloture a Democrat led filibuster in the House of Representatives on Thursday, April 28.
The Governor would need to sign the bills by the end of this week for them to become law. Since the legislature has used all of its 30 legislative days already it can not override a veto by the Governor.
