Lawsuit Filed Challenging Alabama’s Abortion Law
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Alabama, and Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit Friday seeking to block Alabama’s strict new abortion law.
“We are proud to take this fight to the state,” says Staci Fox, president of Planned Parenthood Southeast. “They asked for it, and we promised it, and today we delivered.”
Alabama’s law, which was signed by Governor Kay Ivey last week, makes it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy with the only exception for a serious health risk to the woman. There’s no exception for rape or incest. A doctor convicted under the law could face up to 99 years in prison.
The lawsuit says the near ban is unconstitutional and would harm women.
“We hope our state’s elected leaders take note and stop using taxpayer dollars on a legal gamble that they know is unconstitutional and unenforceable,” says Randall Marshall, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama.
BREAKING: The @ACLU, @ACLUAlabama and @PPFA filed a lawsuit this morning to block #Alabama’s new law that would ban almost all #abortions in the state. You can read a statement by ACLU below: https://t.co/gMD2Xw6lVk
— WBHM 90.3 FM (@WBHM) May 24, 2019
A spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says Marshall is reviewing the lawsuit and has no further comment.
Supporters of the law say it’s designed to challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. They also say they expect to lose at the lower court level. Their hope is that the addition of two conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, will mean the high court rules in their favor.
Alabama’s law is part of a wave of state laws that restrict the procedure. Recently approved laws in Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Ohio ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. None of the laws have taken effect and all are expected to be blocked by the courts as the legal challenges play out with an ultimate eye on the Supreme Court.
This story includes reporting from the Associated Press.
Updated 11:30 a.m. to include comment from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office
President-elect set to shape ‘Trump judiciary’ for next generation
Legal experts predict President-elect Donald Trump will move quickly next year to cement and extend his legacy in appointing federal judges.
Mama Stamberg’s relish faces its toughest critics: NPR staffers
Susan Stamberg returns with her annual love letter to the pink pile of Thanksgiving mush known as Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish.
In this election, demographics did not determine how people voted
Groups that Democrats believed would always turn out in their favor did not do so this year. Here's how the vote shook out in the seven swing states.
In ‘Wicked: Part I’, Cynthia Erivo defies gravity — and convention — as Elphaba
Cynthia Erivo says being different had "something to do with" her role as Elphaba in 'Wicked: Part 1.'
Tesla won the plug war. Enter the age of the EV charging adapter
The auto industry is embracing Tesla's charging technology in order to share its vast Supercharger network. This is going to be a slow transition — expect to see a lot of adapters.
United Nations nuclear agency again condemns Iran for failing to fully cooperate
The resolution comes after the agency said Iran has defied demands to rein in its nuclear program and has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
