PRATTVILLE — Anti-abortion advocates gathered in Prattville at an event with State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) to discuss his plans to completely abolish abortion in the state and how the public can be involved.
The event was held at the First Presbyterian Church and featured speakers, including head pastor Allan Bledsoe, Yarbrough, 1819 News CEO Bryan Dawson, Zachary Conover with the national group End Abortion Now, Paul Abbott II with the state-based End Abortion Alabama and attorney Ben DuPré with the Adoption Law Firm.
The event’s purpose was to discuss the current legal status of abortion in the state, as well as Yarbrough’s legislative efforts to put a total and complete ban on the practice.
House Bill 518 (HB518), also known as the Prenatal Equal Protection Act, is aimed at providing "equal protection" under the law for unborn children who are killed by abortion. HB518 would permit criminal prosecution for abortions in the state with several exceptions. Under the bill, prosecutions where the victim is an unborn child "must be treated the same as if the unborn child were born alive."
The bill was assigned to the House Health Committee over a month ago. However, it was never placed on the committee calendar for a vote or a public hearing; a fact bemoaned by some of the speakers at Tuesday’s event. At this late stage in the legislative session, the bill would be impossible to pass before lawmakers adjourn for the year.
The speakers varied in their focus, with some addressing the state’s current laws that permit some abortions, while others gave a general call to action for Alabama’s Christians to draw attention to the abortions still happening in this state.
“Contrary to popular opinion, abortion is not illegal in Alabama,” Bledsoe announced.
“If pastors don’t even know about that, if Christians as a whole don’t care about that, if followers of Christ are not animated and motivated and zealous to lead the charge to do something about that, then who will?” he added.
DuPré discussed the state’s history with abortion and how the current law, which most assume totally bans abortion, still permits abortions throughout the state.
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) struck down Roe v. Wade, which claimed abortion was a constitutional right. After the SCOTUS decision, Alabama's abortion restriction under the Alabama Human Life Protection Act (HLPA) of 2019 went into effect.
Reading from the HLPA, DuPré outlined how the state permits abortions in the Act’s exceptions, which include if a doctor determines a “serious health risk” to the mother, a health emergency, a mother is diagnosed and confirmed to have a mental illness or if the unborn child has a “lethal anomaly.” The HLPA also does not permit criminal prosecution of a woman who procures an abortion in violation of the law. The punishments only apply to physicians and others who perform abortions without the included exceptions.
“The devil is literally in the details,” DuPré said. “How many of you had never heard those exceptions before read out to you? And you’re all pro-lifers here, most likely.”
He continued, “Now, what is banned? Surgical abortions. You cannot go get a legal, surgical abortion. But, if you’ve been paying attention, you know the most popular form of abortion is the pill. Chemical abortions that can be sent to Alabama from out-of-state.”
Dawson took the podium to lambast the state’s Republican supermajority for not adequately pursuing objectives that reflect the state’s Christian principles.
“God invests authority into his representatives here on this earth in the civil sphere,” Dawson said. “The problem is, for whatever reason, conservatives think wielding power is evil or scary or icky or something. ‘Well, if we do that, the Democrats are going to do this.’ They’re going to do it anyway, OK? Use power the way God wants you to. We need to hold [lawmakers] accountable when they don’t. Pay attention. Get involved. Make your voice heard and be a voice for the voiceless.”
Yarbrough was next to the mic, announcing an aggressive approach to priming the conversation for next year’s session. Yarbrough stated he would swiftly re-file his legislation after the current one concludes. This gives him and others time to advocate for the measure effectively and hopefully gain the public hearing that has eluded his efforts in two separate sessions.
Abbott was last to speak, using his time to encourage Alabama’s Christians to become more involved in the effort to see Yarbrough’s bill to the finish line.
“Session is very likely to end next week, and the Republican establishment has successfully delayed giving a committee hearing to the bill, so that has effectively been killed for this session,” Abbott said. “And so that means we will go another year with thousands of more children dying legally in our state. But, we have another session that will start next Winter.”
He continued, “We need people to be putting pressure on their politicians. Call up your state representative. Call up your state senator. Talk to them. Try to meet with them in person. Go to the state house and talk to them. Try to meet them for lunch in your district. Talk to them about this. A lot of people in Alabama don’t realize. I’m sure some of you didn’t realize the situation coming here, with how many abortions are happening legally in our state. You need to talk to legislators. Make sure they’re informed.”
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