HB98 (2017) - "Right to Life" Amendment
- Status: Passed both chambers
- Position: Oppose
- Session: 2017 Regular
- Latest Update: June 5, 2017
HB 98, the "Right to Life" Amendment, was passed on April 25 and will be on the statewide ballot on November 6, 2018. This is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that will "declare and otherwise affirm that it is the public policy of the state to recognize and support the sanctity of 'unborn life' and the rights of 'unborn children,' including the right to life." This bill is largely symbolic as abortion rights are protected federally by Roe v. Wade, but should that ever be overturned by the Supreme Court, then abortion access could be denied to Alabamians.
2017 Alabama Legislative Report
The 2017 legislative session ended May 19, and to many, it seemed to be among the most contentious of recent years. In addition to the removal of Chief Justice Roy Moore and the resignation of Governor Robert Bentley, there were heated debates over many issues such as the federal court-ordered reapportionment, prison construction, confederate monuments, and a racist joke about monkeys.
By Rebecca Seung-Bickley, Windy Leavell
New Report Shows Alabama's Pregnancy Law Hurts, Not Helps
Amnesty International released a new report on the dangerous consequences of prosecuting pregnant women who use drugs. America’s obsession with the “war on drugs” has criminalized addiction and led to the incarceration of millions of Americans across the country. Unfortunately, thanks to Alabama’s “chemical endangerment” law and other “fetal assault” laws like it, this attitude has also criminalized pregnancy.
By Rebecca Seung-Bickley
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