Doug Jones Opposes Abortion Bill In State Legislature

MONTGOMERY, AL - The bill that would ban most abortions in Alabama is likely up for a vote in the Alabama Senate Tuesday, and Sen. Doug Jones issued a statement Monday urging the Senate to vote down the controversial bill. The bill would essentially outlaw abortions in the state, and a vote on the bill was postponed last week.

Jones called the bill "a draconian piece of legislation" in a social media post Monday night, and said it was "clearly an attack on a woman's freedom to make her own health care decisions."

The bill would make it a Class A felony for a doctor to perform an abortion and a Class C felony for attempting to perform an abortion unless there is a serious health risk to the mother. The bill included an amendment approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week that added an exception in the case of rape or incest. That amendment was almost tabled last Thursday after Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth approved a motion to strip the bill of the rape and incest exceptions without a roll call vote - against the request of Democrats in the Senate.

"Abortion is murder," Ainsworth said in a statement. "Now that President Donald Trump has supercharged the effort to remake the federal court system by appointing conservative jurists who will strictly interpret the Constitution, I feel confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe and finally correct its 46-year-old mistake."

Some Republicans, including Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said they supported the exceptions for rape and incest. Marsh moved to adjourn shortly after the motion.

"It got a little chaotic on the floor, which is why I chose to carry it over to call of the chair, let people go home, talk to their constituents and come back," he said.

The Senate is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday. Gov. Kay Ivey has not said whether or not she would sign the bill, but passage of the bill is expected, as Ivey has stated in the past her opposition to abortion.