Alabama was one of the first states to ban abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. However, State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) said there's still work to be done to ensure the sanctity of life in the state.
"Most people think that in 2019, because Alabama voted to do away with abortion, they think that it did away with abortion in Alabama. And that's not true," he said on a recent episode of "1819 News: The Podcast." Kiel also discussed immigration and broad tax cuts, but he said the abortion issue was near and "dear" to his heart.
For the last three years, Kiel has been pushing legislation to help fund pregnancy resource centers, which provide information and resources for expectant and often reluctant mothers.
His bill, the Pregnancy Resource Act, would give state tax credits to people and businesses who donate to eligible resource centers. The act passed the House in 2023 but failed in the Senate. It suffered a similar fate in 2024 and is now awaiting committee approval in the current session.
The relevant portion begins around the 28:15 mark.
"The chemical abortion issue is very real from pills coming in from out of the country, out of state. And so pregnancy resource centers that provide help to moms who decide to keep their baby or give them resources and tell them how they can keep their baby. I think it's very important we continue to support those," he said.
Kiel said there were about 60 pregnancy resource centers across the state.
"Any way that we can help mothers who decide to keep babies instead of the alternative, I think is very important," he said. "...They can donate now and get a tax deduction. But the highest form of tax back is a tax credit, and that would be a dollar-for-dollar match. So if you gave $500, you get $500 back on your tax return."
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