By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, March 16, the Alabama House of Representatives passed all four Pro-Life bills. The Republican Caucus held a “Pro-Life Day” to discuss and pass pro-life legislation. The Democrats stretched the process out by staging a partisan filibuster; but the pointless delaying tactics were easily swept aside by the Republican Super majority.
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan issued a statement supporting “Pro-Life Day”: “Today is an important day in the Alabama House of Representatives as each bill on the agenda is dedicated to protecting the unborn and preserving the sanctity of life. In their ‘Alabama Proud’ legislative agenda that was released prior to the regular session, the House Republican Caucus promised to hold a ‘Pro-Life Day’ in the chamber and pass the bills on today’s agenda. Today they are proving good to their word.”
Chairman Lathan said, “The Alabama Republican Party passed a resolution at our 2017 Winter Meeting asking the legislature to pass strong pro-life legislation. We commend our elected officials who have prioritized this issue by proclaiming Thursday, March 16, 2017 as ‘Pro-Life Day.’”
The House passed: a constitutional amendment declaring Alabama a pro-life state (so abortion will be instantly outlawed and the preborn will have all of their constitutional rights when the controversial Roe v. Wade ruling is finally overturned); a bill allowing doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to opt out of performing abortions and other procedures that violate their religious and moral belief; a bill outlawing assisted suicide; and a bill defending the religious liberty of faith based child placing agencies not to violate their conscience by being forced to place children with families that live a lifestyle that their faith finds morally objectionable.
State Representative Tim Wadsworth (R from Arley) wrote, “HB98 Right to Life Bill PASSES. The bill is a Constitutional Amendment which means that if Bill passes Senate it would be placed on a ballot to be voted on by the Citizens of Alabama for final passage.”
State Representative Mac Butler (R from Rainbow City) said, “HB 95 which is the right of conscience for health care workers has passed. Also passed was HB 96 which bans assisted suicide. Now up is HB 24 which prohibits discrimination against a child placing agency.”
Rep. Butler concluded, “HB 24 which prohibits discrimination against a child placing agency has passed. This makes four of four Pro Life bills we passed today. We are now adjourned. We are out for Spring Break the next two weeks.”
State Representative Patricia Todd (D from Birmingham) opposed all four bills. Rep. Todd said, “Today, the calendar was 4 horrible bills. One to make Alabama a “pro-life state”, whatever the hell that means. The Dems filibuster as long as we could, but they passed the bill. I pointed out that the Rs are hypocrites because they don’t care about the child after it is born. Love the fetus, hate the child. All the Dems voted against it. Then we had a bill to make assisted suicide illegal. I asked the sponsor if he had ever watched someone he loved suffer, of course he hadn’t. I shared my experience with people living with AIDS, and that I had helped someone end their life and I would do it again. But it passed. Third on the list was to allow medical professions refuse to perform a procedure that violated their religious beliefs. It passed. Then we had the adoption discrimination bill. I made an emotional appeal that if they voted yes it indicated they did not feel I was a fit parent. It passed by party lines.”
Lathan said, “As chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, I applaud our House members for standing up for the most helpless, defenseless and innocent among us – the unborn. I look forward to the Senate’s support of these bills in the future. I ask you to join me today in showing your members support by thanking them for their dedication to pro-life issues.”
