A CBS reporter is clearly triggered by Alabama’s near-full abortion ban. She tried to slam Gov. Ivey, who handled her hostile questions with grace. The law will make nearly all abortions in the state illegal and make performing one a felony, punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison unless the mother’s health is at risk, with no exceptions for women impregnated by rape or incest.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) vowed to sue after the state Senate approved the measure Tuesday night. On Wednesday evening the group followed up in a tweet: “You can’t say we didn’t warn you, @GovernorKayIvey. See you in court.”
Before she signed the strongest anti-abortion bill in the nation on Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey faced down a hostile question from a CBS reporter and immediately flattened her. CBS reporter Jericka Duncan asked, “Where is the money coming from to support people who aren’t ready to be mothers or aren’t financially stable to take care of a child?” Ivey fired back, “You simply cannot defer protecting the lives of unborn children because of costs.”
CBS's @JerickaDuncan to Alabama @GovernorKayIvey before she signed the #AlabamaAbortionBan bill: "Where is the money coming from to support people who aren't ready to be mothers or aren't financially stable to take care of a child?" Ivey fired back you can't put a $$ on life. pic.twitter.com/wHMCNsOsGJ
— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) May 15, 2019
According to the New American, the ACLU of Alabama, along with the National ACLU and Planned Parenthood, is preparing a lawsuit to challenge the bill even though it has yet to be signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. She is expected to sign it, but even if she doesn’t, the strong majorities in both houses that passed the bill would be more than sufficient to override her veto.
The legislation was drafted by Eric Johnston, head of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition. Johnston has been leading the pro-life movement for 30 years and sees that the stars are aligning in Alabama for such a bill.
Previous attempts to curtail or restrict abortion in the state have just nibbled around the edges. For example, legislators in the past have imposed a 48-hour waiting period before performing an abortion; they have mandated that a pregnant woman receive counseling before undergoing the procedure; and they have required minors to receive consent from a parent or a legal guardian before having an abortion.