Republican lawmakers in Alabama are rushing to pass legislation that would provide legal protections for fertility clinics that halted in vitro fertilization services.
The jolt of activity from the GOP legislation comes after the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos must be treated as full legal persons.
Critics argue the proposed laws ignore the root issue and merely enable clinics to circumvent accountability.
Rather than definitively clarifying the legal status of embryos, Republicans are shielding clinics from lawsuits related to the “damage to or death of an embryo” during IVF procedures.
Supporters say the legislative maneuver allows the state to uphold the court’s fierce anti-abortion stance while letting the fertility industry continue operations unhindered.
GOP lawmakers have previously rejected amendments specifying that embryos cannot be legally defined as unborn children.
Alabama state Rep. Barbara Drummond, a Democrat, criticized the state for inserting itself into deeply personal reproductive decisions that should be left to women and families.
The urgency to pass these industry-friendly carve-outs illustrates the political vulnerability that Republicans are facing over the Alabama Supreme Court ruling.
Alabama Republicans appear eager to protect the IVF industry while still enshrining anti-abortion laws. Democratic Party activists claim this is a disturbing overreach that sets the stage for draconian measures policing pregnancies.
Alabama has the nation’s most severe abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. This latest move shows the Republican supermajority remains committed to an uncompromising pro-Life agenda, despite potential political the national stage.
The Horn editorial team