Alabama House Approves “Born Alive” Abortion Bill

The Alabama House of Representatives has approved legislation to put doctors in prison if they don’t try to save babies “born alive” after an attempted abortion.

Representatives voted 66-18 for the bill Tuesday. The bill now moves to the Senate

The bill by Republican Rep. Ginny Shaver says doctors would face 20-year prison sentences for failing to provide reasonable care to save a “child born alive after an abortion.”

Shaver says the bill is named for a California woman who survived a late abortion.

Alabama doesn’t allow abortions after fetal viability.

Democrats called it an attempt to demonize abortion providers and argued there is no record of such instances in Alabama.

The contentious debate came a week after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation seeking to outlaw almost all abortions.

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