A national abortion abolition organization is calling out Alabama’s House Health Committee chairman, State Rep. Paul Lee (R-Dothan), for allegedly preventing a bill to fully criminalize abortion in the state from receiving a vote or hearing.
The bill in question, 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.
The Foundation to Abolish Abortion (FAA) has been active this and previous years, advocating for similar equal protection bills in state legislatures nationwide, including Alabama.
In the final days of this legislative session, passing HB518 is impossible. However, Yarbrough and others recently spoke on Abortion in Alabama earlier this month. During the event, Yarbrough pledged to pre-file the bill early for the next session to properly advocate for the bill to receive a hearing.
In a social media post, the FAA slammed Lee, claiming he “effectively killed” the bill by not allowing it to receive a public hearing or a vote from lawmakers.
“Alabama law still allows for self-induced abortions, meaning that thousands of babies are legally murdered every single year by their own mothers,” FAA said. “But rather than obeying God by addressing this loophole, Rep. Lee, who serves as chairman of the Alabama House Health Committee, refused to hear House Bill 518. With only a few days left in the Alabama legislative session, Rep. Lee has effectively killed the only proposal in his state that would truly abolish abortion. This is just the latest example of a Pro-Life Republican and professing Christian claiming to serve God and yet refusing to protect His most innocent image-bearers.”
In keeping with its critique of mainstream pro-life positions and messaging, the FAA turned its attention to the state’s Republican supermajority, accusing it of complacency in dealing with the issue.
“In conservative states like Alabama, the pro-abortion Democrats have no power to keep abortion legal. But they do not even have to try. They trust the Pro-Life Republicans to keep abortion legal for them. Rep. Lee will one day stand before the risen and ascended King Jesus, and he will have to offer an account of how he stewarded his authority as a civil magistrate. But he has so far abdicated his duty to protect preborn babies from murder and to abolish abortion.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
