Abortion

Alabama Governor Still Deciding on 20 Week Abortion Ban

Although the law was passed through the legislature in the very end of the session, the governor is still mulling whether or not to sign it into law.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is still deciding whether or not he will sign a bill that will outlaw all abortions in the state after the 20th week. The bill, which was passed in the very final moments of the 2011 legislative session, relies on the “fetal pain” allegations that anti-choice activists have been pushing across the country.

Via the Examiner:

Alabama abortion clinic operators say the law would have little impact on the number of abortions currently performed in the state. The clinics currently perform more than 10,000 abortions a year. Last year, 68 abortions were reported for women more than 20 weeks pregnant.

The bill’s major impact would involve the paperwork clinics must file with state agencies detailing the abortions they perform.

Although the ban would only affect a small number of women, it would be women primarily who wanted their pregnancies, punishing mostly women who only wanted to give birth in the first place.