Alabama governor signs nation's most restrictive abortion bill into law

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed into law on Wednesday a bill prohibiting nearly all abortion procedures in the state, with no exemptions for cases of rape or incest.

The measure, which passed the Alabama state Senate on Tuesday night with a vote of 25-6, makes performing an abortion a felony. This is the country's most restrictive abortion law, and only allows exceptions when a woman's health is at risk. Democrats tried to add an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims from the law, but the motion failed.

"To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement. She also said the bill's sponsors "believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.