As of Tuesday May 14th, the state of Alabama voted to pass a law which bans abortion within state limits. The vote consisted of 25 legislators saying “yes” and 6 saying “no” for the controversial bill. Two female senators were among the six who voted against the bill.  On Wednesday, Kay Ivey, a female Republican senator signed the bill into law. She tweeted: “Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God”.

Other states had previously set limits on the time frame for which abortions are allowed. Ohio recently passed a bill that banned abortion in the very early weeks of pregnancy after a fetal heartbeat can be found–before most women are even aware that they are pregnant. 

The Alabama law, known as the “Human Life Protection Act” disallows abortion or attempted abortion in the state of Alabama, except, according to the bill “in cases where abortion is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother”. This bill does not protect rape victims or conception brought forth by incestuous relationships. The House Bill reclassifies abortion as a Class A felony. If the law is broken, it is punishable to up to 99 years in prison. Pro-choice advocates have “promised to challenge Alabama’s controversial legislation long before November”.