Five Things To Know About the Alabama Abortion Bill

We are about to find out just how committed pro-life Americans really are, because the Alabama abortion bill just signed by the governor is serious business.

As someone who is pro-life, I appreciate the sentiment behind the bill that Governor Kay Ivey signed—the previous “lines in the sand” like trimesters and fetal heartbeats are a kind of incrementalism that cedes ground to the pro-abortion arguments that it’s a “right” and that there is a “place and time” for taking innocent lives.

There isn’t.

But get ready for what happens now.

1. Gov. Ivey admits the law “may be…unenforceable” under Roe v. Wade, as she pointed out that she would respect SCOTUS even when she disagreed with its rulings.
2.  The governor and legislators all know this sucker is going to court. Some have even speculated that a court decision was the actual intent of the bill. And don’t assume that there has to be some kind of epic showdown at the Supreme Court, either. It takes four justices to force the court to take an appeal of a circuit court decision. I’m not sure there’s four, let alone five for a decisive vote. Chief Justice Roberts is prolife, but has a philosophy that the Court should never act in paradigm-shifting ways. He probably wouldn’t have done Roe had he been there. He wouldn’t do ACA when he was there. He won’t want this thing, at all.
3.  In the best case scenario, the bill goes to SCOTUS, and is upheld. So what? Did the 1973 Roe decision end the debate over abortion in America? This unlikely outcome wouldn’t either. For every Alabama, there will be a Virginia or New York fired up to widen the path to abortion.
4.  What are the politics here? I can promise you, that “enthusiasm gap” the Democrats were suffering from since the Mueller letdown will evaporate overnight. The battlecry over Alabama will get out the vote for Democrats, and ensure that they are more united behind whoever they nominate next summer. Remember the election right after Kavanaugh?  Are you prepared for a possible Democratic Senate? None of this means it’s wrong to do the right thing. It just means you prepare for the chain of events you unleash.
5.  From slavery to women’s suffrage to abortion, it’s always been about changing “hearts and minds” in America, not merely proclaiming laws. Ours is a freedom culture in which persuasion is more powerful than law. If you are pro-life, you KNOW victory isn’t in any legislature or court decision. It’s when a person changes their mind. Recognizes the humanity and dignity of unborn life. When a baby is born instead of aborted. The true “victory”.

One interesting theory has it that Alabama lawmakers actually hope the Supremes take up theirs AND Georgia’s “heartbeat” bill together, and splits the difference, amending Roe to uphold Georgia, while striking down Alabama. In that case, the Alabama bill was like a sacrifice fly hit to score a run. It’s not hard to imagine this happening.

Follow your heart. Know how the game will be played. Be ready.