By a vote of 9-1, the Alabama Senate Health Committee has backed HB18, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which bans abortions after 20 weeks post-fertilization on the basis of medical and scientific evidence that preborn human babies feel pain at this age. Last month the House overwhelmingly endorsed the measure 69-19.
Supporting HB18 were Sen. Greg Reed, Sen. Paul Bussman, Sen. Slade Blackwell, Sen. Gerald Dial, Sen. Del Marsh, Sen. Harri Anne Smith, Sen. Jabo Waggoner, Sen. Cam Ward, Sen. Tom Whatley. The bill now moves on to the Senate Rules Committee.
Cheryl Ciamarra, Alabama Citizens For Life Legislative Director, held up an anatomically correct fetal model, as she discussed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
“We are very hopeful that the full Alabama Senate will agree with the Alabama House Representatives to pass HB18 to limit abortions after the time unborn babies are proven to be able to experience pain,” said Cheryl Ciamarra, Alabama Citizens for Life (ACL) representative on the National Right to Life Committee board.
Ciamarra, who is also the Legislative Director for ACL, attributed passage to sponsor Rep. Kerry Rich, “who has worked tirelessly on this effort as well as the leadership,” and to the “support of Sen. Scott Beason early on in the session encouraging pro-life legislators to press for the strongest meaningful legislation possible to save lives and protect babies.” Seventy-nine babies capable of experiencing pain were aborted last year.
In 2010, Nebraska passed the first Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which was drafted with the invaluable assistance of National Right to Life’s Department of State Legislation. Already this legislative session, three more states have introduced and passed the bill—Kansas, Oklahoma, and Idaho.
(See www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2011/04/third-pro-life-bill-heads-to-gov-brownback/; www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2011/04/oklahoma-becomes-fourth-state-to-protect-pain-capable-unborn-children-from-abortion/; and www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2011/04/idaho-becomes-third-state-to-protect-pain-capable-unborn-children)
“Each time this law gets a fair hearing, it moves along the legislative pipeline,” said Mary Spaulding Balch, director of NRL’s Department of State Legislation. “Pro-abortionists have yet to follow through on their threats to take Nebraska’s law into court.”
Why? “Because the fundamental premise is one they dare not challenge: you don’t abort children capable of feeling pain.”
Bill Klein, President of ACL, celebrated the bill’s recent successes, saying, “Many are praying for Alabama to do the same!”
Knights of Columbus, Worldwide Catholic Fraternal Service Organization’ sent its KOC Montgomery Honor Guard in full Regalia to support Alabama Citizens for Life yesterday.
“We really appreciate their taking time to come stand with us for life, as we know many councils and assemblies are very busy with disaster relief across the state due to the recent tornado destruction,” said Klein. For photos visit www.AL4life.org