Alabama's Anti-Abortion Law: Woman Behind The Bill

Alabama's anti-abortion bill, also known as the Human Life Protection Act, was written by Eric Johnston, an unelected activist and founder of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition. The bill was introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives by Terri Collins, a Republican representing Decatur, and was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, a woman, on May 15, 2019. The bill imposes a near-total ban on abortion in the state, classifying the performance of an illegal abortion as a Class A felony equivalent to rape and murder.

The Human Life Protection Act, also known as the Alabama abortion ban, was enacted on May 15, 2019

Under the Human Life Protection Act, performing an abortion in Alabama is a felony, and doctors who perform abortions can be sentenced to life imprisonment. The law provides for exceptions in cases where the fetus has a lethal anomaly or where the pregnancy poses a serious health risk to the woman. It is important to note that the law does not include an exception for cases of rape or incest. The act also specifies that the woman receiving the abortion would not be held criminally or civilly liable.

The Human Life Protection Act is a highly controversial piece of legislation that has been strongly opposed by Democratic politicians, activists, and some Republican politicians. Several proposed amendments to include exceptions for rape and incest were rejected. Legal challenges to the act were quickly brought by abortion rights advocates, and a preliminary injunction against the law was issued by a U.S. District Court judge in October 2019. However, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, the injunction was lifted, and the law went into effect.

The introduction of the Human Life Protection Act in Alabama reflects a broader trend in conservative states to restrict access to abortion. Alabama has consistently enacted legislation aimed at limiting abortions, and abortion remains a divisive issue in the state. The act is a significant development in the ongoing debate over abortion rights in the United States and has sparked protests and legal challenges from those who oppose it.

The bill was introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives by Terri Collins, a Republican representing Decatur

Terri Collins, a Republican representative of the Alabama House of Representatives, introduced the anti-abortion bill, also known as the Human Life Protection Act, in 2019. Collins has been a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 8th District since 2010.

Before her election to the legislature, Collins worked in marketing and sales for First American Bank for 16 years. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to Decatur in 1982 with her husband, Tom, with whom she raised three children.

Collins has been a prolific legislator, having sponsored 469 bills as of March 1, 2017. She has introduced and passed numerous bills, including the Direct Wine Shipment bill, the Shortened Covid-19 Year bill, the 18-year-old Age Gap bill, and the Flag, Family, and Country Agenda bill.

In addition to her role as a legislator, Collins has also served on various committees and boards. She chairs the Education Policy Committee and is a member of the Education Ways and Means Committee. She has also been appointed to the Alabama Workforce Development Board, the Southern Regional Education Board, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, among others.

Collins has been recognised for her strong support for Pre-K education and her bold leadership in creating new Pre-K classes. She has also been described as a lady who "stands by her convictions and does what the situation demands to do what she believes is right for her constituency."

Doctors found guilty under the Act could receive sentences ranging from 10 years imprisonment to 99 years or life imprisonment

Alabama's abortion laws have been the subject of much controversy in recent years, with critics arguing that they infringe on women's reproductive rights and can lead to unfair criminalization. The state's abortion ban, which allows only limited exemptions for the life of the mother or in cases of lethal fetal anomalies, has sparked particular concern due to its harsh penalties for doctors who perform abortions.

Under the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, also known as HB 314, doctors who provide abortions can be charged with a Class A felony, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and can go up to 99 years or even life imprisonment. This means that doctors found guilty under the Act could receive sentences ranging from 10 years to 99 years or life imprisonment. The law makes no exception for victims of rape or incest, and the only other exception is when there is a serious health risk to the mother.

The Act has been criticized for its seemingly punitive nature and the inherent cruelty of forcing survivors of rape or incest to carry their fetuses to term. The implications of these sentencing guidelines are clear and chilling. If HB 314 is enacted, a first-time offender who is accused of raping, for example, an intellectually disabled woman, could potentially serve less prison time than a doctor providing a safe and constitutionally protected procedure.

The law's supporters argue that it is necessary to protect the sanctity of life and that it reflects Alabamians' deeply held beliefs that every life is precious and a gift from God. However, critics argue that the law goes too far and that the state's extremist policies are encroaching on people's lives.

The impact of Alabama's abortion laws extends beyond the doctors who perform abortions. The state has a history of prosecuting pregnant women, particularly those who are believed to have ingested substances that might endanger a fetus. For example, in Etowah County, there have been numerous cases of women being arrested and charged with chemical endangerment of a child for substance use during pregnancy, even in cases where the substance was legally prescribed.

The state's Supreme Court has also played a role in shaping abortion-related policies. In 2013, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the term "child" includes embryos at any stage of development, marking the first time a state Supreme Court recognized that embryos and fetuses have legal rights before the point of viability. This ruling has had far-reaching implications, including the recent suspension of IVF services in the state due to concerns about legal liability.

The bill was signed into law by a woman, Gov. Kay Ivey

The Human Life Protection Act, also known as House Bill 314 (HB 314) and the Alabama abortion ban, was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey on May 15, 2019. Ivey, a Republican, was the one who ultimately put the bill into effect, but she was not the only woman involved in the process. The bill was introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives by Terri Collins, a Republican representing Decatur, and sponsored in the Alabama Senate by Republican Clyde Chambliss.

The bill was passed in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature along party lines. In the House, it passed with a vote of 74-3, and in the Senate, it passed 25-6. Most of the Democrats in the House walked out of the debate and did not vote. The bill was set to go into effect in November 2019 but was delayed by a legal challenge.

The Human Life Protection Act bans abortions at any stage of pregnancy, with the exception of cases where the fetus has a lethal anomaly or the pregnancy presents a serious health risk to the woman. The law does not include an exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Doctors found guilty of performing an illegal abortion under the law could face sentences of 10 years to life imprisonment.

While the bill was signed into law by a woman, Gov. Kay Ivey, it's important to note that women in office do not always vote against restrictive abortion laws. In fact, conservative women have often played a role in restricting abortion access. The Alabama abortion ban was sponsored by a woman, state Rep. Terri Collins, and signed into law by Ivey.

The bill was drafted by Eric Johnston, an unelected activist and founder of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition

The Alabama anti-abortion bill was drafted by Eric Johnston, an unelected activist and founder of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition. Johnston is an attorney and president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, which is a pro-life advocacy organisation. The coalition is responsible for drafting, supporting, and passing the Alabama Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Alabama Post-Viability Abortion Ban Act.

Johnston has been trying to ban abortion for 30 years. He pushed for a strict ban, rather than a six-week ban, because he wanted to recognise life at the point of detectable conception. He has also made headlines for writing anti-gay marriage laws and Alabama's "anti-Sharia law".

Johnston is a member of the National Lawyers Association, Alabama State Bar Association, and Birmingham Bar Association. He was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1973 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama in 1970 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Samford University in 1973.

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