By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Saturday, April 1, 2017, Pro-life Alabamians will rally on the Dexter stairs of the Alabama State Capitol at 12 noon to petition Governor Bentley to end human abortion by implementing what they call Proposal 16 — which is the use of executive power to apply Alabama’s pro-life laws and defend the 16 human lives who are killed by abortion every day in the State of Alabama.
Birmingham area Attorney and the founder of Proposal 16 Samuel McLure said in a statement, “It’s the dawn of a new day in the pro-life movement. With Proposal 16, pro-life Alabamians have found a tangible way to act on their principles and ask their Governor to act on his.”
McLure claimed, “Governor Bentley can and should ensure that all human beings under his jurisdiction are given their God-given and Constitutional right to life and there’s no good reason for him to refuse.”
Speakers in favor of Proposal 16, speakers will include: Dr. David Bailey (pastor at Cottondale Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Karen Wentworth (Director at Bama Students for Life), Matt Blocher (Construction worker and Director of Church Relations at Proposal 16), Maggie Ford (Community Volunteer and Assistant Media Director at Proposal 16) and Jay Hinton (Montgomery attorney, Eastwood Presbyterian Church).
McLure said, “There’s no better time to send the death warrant of millions that we call Roe v. Wade to the dark pages of history. It’s time to end the barbarous practice of ‘legal’ abortion, keep providing positive solutions so that women can be the mamas their babies need, and ensure that every innocent human being is guaranteed their God-given and Constitutional right to life. We’re simply asking Governor Bentley to turn his pro-life words into actions and lead the way forward.”
Many critics of Proposal 16 question if the governor has that kind of power and argue that even if Bentley attempted this his order would be immediately challenged in court and the federal judge would likely rule that the state can not interfere with a woman’s right to choose an abortion under the controversial Roe v. Wade US Supreme Court ruling. The Alabama Political Reporter has asked Planned Parenthood Southeast for comment on this proposal.
Supporters say that Proposal 16 is a draft executive order which would mobilize the executive branch of government to protect “the God-given and constitutional right to life of every pre-born person in Alabama.”
The Proposal 16 movement began late January in the wake of the Republican takeover in Washington DC.
Past efforts by the state to defund Planned Parenthood, to require abortion doctors to have local hospital admitting privileges, to keep abortion clinics away from schools, to hold abortion clinics to the same standards as out patient surgical clinics, etc. have been blocked in federal court after abortion supporters sued to block those statutes and orders. The state of Alabama has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to implement these past Pro-Life measures.
