Blog Post 1
Gentry Scott
Professor Jenkins
PS 101
March 10, 2022
In the state of Alabama, many residents face the constant battle of their political beliefs versus their neighbors, coworkers, friends, or even families. In the past several years, politics has drawn a wedge between people because they allow their minds to speak rather than just holding in their thoughts. One issue that continues to be monitored by the residents of Alabama is how legislators will handle the abortion debate. The “Human Life Protection Act was signed into law in 2019 but has not been enacted since a federal judge blocked it. This law banned all abortions. Legislators have now introduced the ‘Alabama Heartbeat Act’. This new bill is being backed by Republicans and would ban most abortions in the state. The bill states that once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is usually around six weeks, an abortion would not only be prohibited but illegal. The bill affects the citizens of Alabama in that most expectant mothers would be beyond the designated time frame for having an abortion before they even know they are pregnant. Also, there is no clear majority as to what the citizens want. Those who are pro-life, and those who are pro-choice, think their viewpoint on the topic is correct. Furthermore, there continues to be a debate on when life begins. The proposed bill does not take extenuating circumstances such as rape or incest into consideration. The fetus’s sustainability of life should also be a contributing factor. The law does allow abortions in cases when the mother’s life is at risk, which could create further debate to determine what meets the criteria of being at risk and whether mental health should be considered. There is no current debate over ‘the morning after pill, which is routinely used as a precaution after unprotected sex and is often referred to as the abortion pill. Additionally, in the abortion debate, it is primarily male legislators who are making the decisions regarding the termination of pregnancy when the biological fathers themselves have no say in the abortion process.
The passing of the ‘Alabama Heartbeat Act’ would change the timeframe for legal abortions from 22 weeks to around 6 weeks of gestation. This change, however, does not necessarily prevent a pregnant mother from having an abortion when she is adamant about aborting the fetus; it only makes it more difficult. One may consider traveling to a neighboring state for the procedure. It is also feasible that more children will be neglected, placed into foster care, put up for adoption, or raised by other family members in cases where the biological mother does not want the child. Additionally, for teenage mothers, many insurance policies do not provide coverage for dependent obstetric care, which would place a burden on the Medicaid system to cover the costs of the births as well as the baby once it is born. For those Alabamians who are pro-life, this bill does not do away with abortions completely, but moves the timeline in the right direction and would theoretically reduce the possibility of an abortion in many cases. Also, many religious leaders and Christians who believe life begins at conception support the legislation. Fathers who previously would not have had to pay child support for an aborted fetus may now have an added financial responsibility.
If the law does not pass, it is not likely that the amount of abortions will increase. Actually, the number of facilities providing abortions has decreased in the last 10 years, the number of abortions in the state have been steadily decreasing, and abortions in the state represent less than one percent of the abortions in the United States. Abortions have been performed legally and safely for nearly fifty years. The limitation of not performing abortions at or after 22 weeks and the mandatory 48 hour waiting period and mandated counseling prior to obtaining an abortion would remain in place. This latest abortion bill has brought attention to organizations such as the Yellowhammer fund which funds abortions and supports individual reproduction decisions without state interference. Studies have shown that the majority of women who have had an abortion do not regret the decision, but further research needs to be conducted to determine how the fathers are affected. Democrats who do not support the bill focus on healthcare and reproductive education. Republicans who do support the bill most likely will continue to push an abortion bill.
When looking at abortion related statistics, I am not sure an abortion bill of this magnitude is needed in the state. There are already limited resources for abortions and southern morality places more emphasis on birth than abortion. Those who do not want an abortion would not pursue those avenues. Those who do want an abortion will find other means to terminate the pregnancy.
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-alabama
https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/abortions-later-in-pregnancy/
https://time.com/5591166/state-abortion-laws-explained/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/abortion-rates-by-state
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-alabama
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/06/abortion-laws-in-the-us-10-things-you-need-to-know/