Abortion is still legal in all 50 states. But with the passage of a highly restrictive new law in Alabama, and with a bill in Missouri close behind, some are wondering about the future of the procedure.
Alabama’s Republican governor Kay Ivey signed a bill last week that “essentially made abortion in her state illegal in all circumstances, with zero exceptions for rape or incest. Doctors who perform the procedure face a penalty of up to 99 years in prison,” according to The Washington Post..
Hundreds of people are protesting the law at the Alabama State Capitol.
One of the protest’s organizers, Megan Skipper, spoke to AL.com, saying protesters “never planned for it to be this big.” She added, “but I think this size shows us that people are mad. And we are the majority. And that abortion rights are human rights and that’s what we want for the state of Alabama.”
That’s not the only issue on the minds of Alabamians. A Department of Justice report revealed devastating conditions inside Alabama’s prisons for men, and alleged that they represented a violation of the Constitution.
The New York Times reported:
Prisoners in the Alabama system endured some of the highest rates of homicide and rape in the country, the Justice Department found, and officials showed a “flagrant disregard” for their right to be free from excessive and cruel punishment. The investigation began in the waning days of the Obama administration and continued for more than two years after Mr. Trump took office.
Legislators from both parties want to convene a special session this summer to address these issues, although only the governor can make the official call.
We talk to a reporter from WBHM in Birmingham about all that and more.
WBHM is one of our Across America partner stations.
GUESTS
Andrew Yeager, Morning Edition host and reporter, WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama; @andsygr
For more, visit https://the1a.org.
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