Alabama Gov. Bentley to sign bill that bans abortions from week 20

2011-06-15 06:36:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA (BNO NEWS) -- Alabama Governor Robert Bentley will soon sign a bill that bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, his press secretary said on Tuesday. It follows similar restrictions introduced in a number of other states.

The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, and Alabama state laws currently allow abortion up to the stage of fetal viability, which is usually between 24 and 26 weeks gestation. The new bill will restrict abortions beginning on the first day of the 20th week of pregnancy.

"Governor Bentley is reviewing that bill along with all of the bills that passed the Legislature on the last day of the session," said Jennifer Ardis when asked if Bentley would sign the bill. "He will sign this bill but has not as of today," she added.

The abortion bill, which makes no exceptions for cases of rape and incest, was passed by lawmakers on Thursday during the final day of the session. It makes it a felony to perform an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, unless the woman is at risk of death or serious physical harm as a result of the pregnancy.

The 'Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act', which passed the Alabama legislature less than 30 minutes before the midnight deadline, will also require abortion providers to keep more extensive records on the number and type of abortions they have performed.

"Modern medical science furnishes us with compelling evidence that unborn children recoil from painful stimuli, that their stress hormones increase when they are subjected to any painful stimuli, and that they require anesthesia for fetal surgery," said Mary Spaulding Balch, director of state legislation for the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). "Therefore, the states have a compelling interest in protecting unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion."

Idaho, Indiana, Kansas and Oklahoma have passed similar restrictions earlier this year. Nebraska also passed a new law last year that put more restrictions on abortions.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-15

This is a perennially touchy subject in the US. I don't think any group of legislators should make sweeping declarations on the abortions issue. Whether or not to have an abortion is mostly a pregnant woman's decision, hopefully in concert with the man who knocked her up. Even in the best scenario it's a difficult decision, and doesn't need to be further complicated by old unrelated men who are grandstanding in a legislative body hundreds of miles away.

If Gov. Bently and other edict-proclaimers want to do some good for reproductive issues, they should take a deep look at test tube babies (some women are giving birth to 7 kids at a time, because the petri dish conceptions), and also see about making it easy and cheap for anyone who wants birth control - to get it. Similarly, anyone who wants to get their tubes tied (man or woman), and who gets counseling beforehand, should be able to get it done low cost.

Edited June 15, 201115 yr by maidu