logo
book Subscribe to our Magazine
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
    • Grassroots Fundraising Journal
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Podcasts
    • Tiny Spark
    • Women of Color in Power
  • Webinars
    • Free Webinars
    • Premium On-Demand Webinars
  • Membership

New Alabama Bill Carries a 99-Year Sentence for Doctors Performing Abortions

Ruth McCambridge
May 2, 2019
Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print
“Defend Roe v Wade,” Thomas Hawk

May 1, 2019; National Public Radio

Yesterday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed by an overwhelming majority a bill that would impose criminal penalties of imprisonment for up to 99 years on doctors who perform abortions at any stage of pregnancy and under any conditions except when the mother’s life is in danger or the baby is judged to have a fatal anomaly. Most observers see it as one of dozens of bills expressly built to test Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.

Democratic lawmakers walked out before the vote was taken. This bill, if it becomes law, may be the most restrictive of those launched toward SCOTUS this year. The states of Georgia and Mississippi have passed laws that are similar, but they are based on a fetal heartbeat being audible. In all, around 25 have passed bills that test the boundaries of the law.

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

In direct contradiction to federal law, Alabama voters approved a constitutional amendment last year that recognizes the “rights of unborn children.”

ACLU Executive Director Randall Marshall says, “There is simply nothing that Alabama can do to interfere with the right of access to abortion. That is a federal right and the federal constitution clearly trumps all state law.” But anti-abortion advocates believe the dynamics and the makeup of certain courts have changed sufficiently to test that theory.—Ruth McCambridge

Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ruth McCambridge

Ruth is Editor Emerita of the Nonprofit Quarterly. Her background includes forty-five years of experience in nonprofits, primarily in organizations that mix grassroots community work with policy change. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ruth spent a decade at the Boston Foundation, developing and implementing capacity building programs and advocating for grantmaking attention to constituent involvement.

More about: AbortionLegislationNonprofit NewsPolicyReproductive Justice

Become a member

Support independent journalism and knowledge creation for civil society. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Members receive unlimited access to our archived and upcoming digital content. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. Gain access to our exclusive library of online courses led by thought leaders and educators providing contextualized information to help nonprofit practitioners make sense of changing conditions and improve infra-structure in their organizations.

Join Today
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

NPQ_Spring_2022

You might also like
Decriminalizing Abortion: Women of Color Continue to Lead the Fight for Reproductive Justice
Kitana Ananda
Environmental Personhood: A Radical Approach to Climate Justice
Cassandra Roxburgh
Edgar Cahn’s Second Act: Time Banking and the Return of Mutual Aid
Steve Dubb
We Owe You Nothing: The Movement to Cancel Student Debt Gains Ground
Rithika Ramamurthy
Charitable Tax Reform: Why Half Measures Won’t Curb Plutocracy
Alan Davis
Green New Deal or Stale Old Tax-Break Scam? Getting Electric Vehicle Incentives Right
Greg LeRoy

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
June 9th, 2 pm ET

Remaking the Economy

Wage Justice, Now!

Register
You might also like
Decriminalizing Abortion: Women of Color Continue to Lead...
Kitana Ananda
Environmental Personhood: A Radical Approach to Climate...
Cassandra Roxburgh
Edgar Cahn’s Second Act: Time Banking and the Return of...
Steve Dubb
WOMEN OF COLOR IN POWER
Women of Color in Power

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Authentic Leadership
Reclaiming Interrupted Lineages

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Independent & in your mailbox.

Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59.

subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Submissions
  • Advertisers
  • Newsletters
  • Copyright

Subscribe to View Webinars

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.