Lawmakers returned to the State House in Montgomery on April 30, 2019, expecting one of the most consequential votes of the session: a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in Alabama and make performing the procedure a felony.
Under the measure, a doctor who performed an abortion in Alabama would face felony charges, putting the state on track to have some of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the nation if it took effect.
Supporters framed the legislation as a deliberate challenge aimed at prompting courts to revisit national abortion precedent, while opponents warned it would criminalize care for women across the state, including in South Alabama’s hospitals and clinics.
The House vote was expected during that day’s session, with the bill then heading to further steps in the legislative process before any law could take effect — a path that was widely anticipated to include federal court challenges regardless of the outcome.