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Proposed bill would ban most Alabama abortions

Terri Collins
AL Rep. Terri Collins (R), Decatur

Lawmakers in Alabama may ban the majority of abortions in the state if a bill currently in the House of Representatives is approved.

Rep. Terri Collins (R) of Decatur has proposed legislation to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Collins says that if the end of life is defined by the absence of a heartbeat, it makes sense to her to define the beginning of life with the start of a heartbeat.

Nikema Williams of Planned Parenthood Southeast says the bill would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before some women would even know they’re pregnant. She called the proposed law "dangerous and blatantly unconstitutional."

A federal judge struck down a similar North Dakota law last year, ruling it unconstitutional.

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