Alabama bill banning nearly all abortions passes House almost unanimously

A bill in Alabama banning nearly all abortions in the state passed the House of Representatives Tuesday with only three lawmakers voting against the measure.

State Rep. Terri Collins (R), a sponsor of the measure, said the bill is intended to go all the way up to the Supreme Court and challenge Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

If passed, the bill would criminalize abortions in all cases unless the health of the pregnant person was in danger and would make it a Class C felony for a doctor to perform the procedure, according to AL.com.

The bill also does not include any exceptions for cases where rape or incest caused the pregnancy. The measure passed by a vote of 74-3.

While several Democratic lawmakers attempted to add amendments to the bill, such as adding an exception for rape or incest, Collins said none would be accepted due to the fact she wants the bill to be used to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“We decided it was time to address the actual issue, which was ‘do we want to allow abortion in our country’ and maybe ask the Supreme Court to revisit their decision so long ago with so little technology we have right now,” Collins previously told AL.com

The local news outlet reports the Alabama chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plans to challenge the bill in court if it becomes law.

“The people of Alabama are paying the bill for unconstitutional legislation and we hope that the Senate members will realize its detrimental impact and stop this bill from becoming law,” a statement from the ACLU read. “Otherwise it will be challenged in federal court.”