This week in the Alabama Legislature might be one of the most significant weeks in recent years! Most weeks during the Regular Session there are only two legislative days, plus a day or two of committee meetings. This week there were three legislative days, and on the last day, the Alabama House of Representatives passed the following four important pro-life bills:
HB98 (sponsored by Rep. Matt Fridy) is a constitutional amendment that the people of Alabama must approve. If passed by the Senate and by the voters on a state-wide ballot, this amendment will constitutionalize Alabama’s commitment to the right of life of unborn children.
HB95 (the Health Care Rights of Conscience Act, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney) will protect health care providers who decline to perform services that violate their consciences. There are exceptions included in the legislation.
HB96 (the Assisted Suicide Ban Act, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler) will make it illegal for individuals or health care providers to provide aid in dying under certain conditions.
HB24 (the Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act, sponsored by Rep. Rich Wingo) will prohibit the state from discriminating against child care service providers under certain conditions.
Now these bills must go to the Senate for a vote. As a constitutional amendment, HB98, if it passes the Senate will not go to the Governor’s desk, but will go directly on a future ballot for the people of Alabama to decide. The other bills, if they pass the Senate, will go to the Governor for his signature. Please call your State Senator and ask him/her to vote YES on all four of these bills.
In other news, HB277 (sponsored by Rep. Pebblin Warren) has been carried over until various parties can work out a compromise that will both protect children and the religious freedom of churches. We will keep you posted as decisions are made.
HB353 (sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan) did not receive enough votes to be brought to the floor of the House for a vote. This bill would have allowed alcohol to be sold on Sundays, beginning at 10:30 a.m. instead of the current time of 12:00 noon. ALCAP spoke against this bill in a public hearing and we are grateful that enough House members realized that this bill is not good for the people of Alabama. It can come up again, but only after both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund Budgets have passed both houses (which doesn’t usually happen until near the end of the legislative session).
Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support of ALCAP. Please call your legislators and thank them for their votes on the pro-life bills. We hope to have the voting record for each pro-life bill at a later date..