Stand aside, Alabama Supreme Court. Congress has come to the rescue to protect IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) from your evangelical beliefs.
Top News Today :
You may remember that the Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled that frozen embryos created and stored for in vitro fertilization (IVF) are actually children. The decision meant that frozen embryos could no longer be destroyed — either on purpose or by accident — because it would equate to murder.
Now, members of the Alabama House and Senate have interceded by passing legislation that will shield IVF providers from civil and criminal liability. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, also did her part by immediately signing the new legislation into law.
According to The New York Times, the legislation passed with a vote of 81 to 12 (and 9 abstentions) in the House and 29 to 1 in the Senate. The final tally demonstrated an urgency among Republicans to protect IVF treatments for their own political survival, even though it contradicts their long-standing pledge to protect unborn life.
“It’s happy tears, it’s a sigh of relief just because we know we are protected,” said Stormie Miller, a Hoover, AL, mother who had twin girls through IVF and has 2 frozen embryos left. When considering what she might do with her extra embryos, she added, “We’re able to make that decision for ourselves and not have someone make that decision for us.”
However, medical practitioners were taking a more cautious approach.
Doctors at one Alabama clinic were ecstatic over the new law and said they would resume IVF treatments as early as the end of the week. However, another clinic said it wasn’t clear about the scope of the new protections and would wait for “legal clarification” before proceeding.
So, the Alabama Supreme Court attempted to use their power and their own religious beliefs to mandate morality. However, the Alabama House and Senate swiftly saved the day by taking religion out of the law and allowing its citizens to make their own decisions about their own bodies — even though the move was only to make the GOP look good politically.
Still, it was a good day in Alabama.
OK WASSUP! covers the Top News Today:
Alabama House and Senate protect IVF.
I expect there is going to be some appeals and other legal fighting over this. A whole lot of Repubs go crazy when you mess with their religious beliefs.