By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Alabama Senate has passed SB363, sponsored by State Senator Phil Williams (R-Rainbow City), but the Alabama House of Representatives has not acted on the Pro-Life legislation and there are only two legislative days left in the 2016 legislative session.
National Pro Life Committee Member representing Alabama Cheryl Ciamarra said that SB386 has been recently endorsed by the Alabama Baptist Convention and is supported by the Catholic Church’s Bishop Emeritus of North Alabama David Foley and Bishop Robert Baker.
The Alabama Baptist Convention wrote that: “The Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act would effectively prohibit the most common form of abortion — abortion by dismemberment — in Alabama and be another step toward protecting the lives of unborn children.” The Convention urged, “The Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama State Senate to prioritize passage of similar legislation to the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act in the 2016 Legislative Session; and be it further RESOLVED, That we urge members of the Alabama Legislature to seek effective ways to protect the lives of the unborn through these and other legislative actions….”
Ciamarra said that SB363, the Unborn Child Protection Act, is current law in four states: Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Mississippi. It has yet to be challenged in any Federal court. Two states have had state court cases however it is not enjoined in either of these states. This legislation is currently pending in eight additional states.
Ciamarra said that dismemberment abortions, “Are a common and brutal type of D&E abortion which involves dismembering a living unborn child piece by piece.
According to the National Abortion Federation Abortion Training Textbook – “D&E remains the most prevalent method of second-trimester pregnancy termination in the USA, accounting for 96 percent of all second trimester abortions.”
Ciamarra said that of the approximately 1 million abortions performed annually in this county almost nine percent of abortions are performed on these very developed babies. Roughly 100,000 unborn babies are killed each year after the first trimester.
Alabama Citizens For Life said in a statement, “Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard to request a vote ASAP on SB363 Sponsored by Sen. Phil Williams and Mac Butler in the House. ALabama citizens for life is grateful to Sen. Rules Chairman Jabo Waggonner and Sen. Pro Temp Del Marsh for expediting this matter quickly in the Alabama Senate where it received wide bipartisan support.”
Planned Parenthood Southeast and the Alabama Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have fought recent state laws concerning abortion in federal court.
There are only two legislative days left, so for SB363 to pass this year then the rules committee has to prioritize it by adding it to the calendar on these last two days.
