Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law Wednesday the nation’s controversial anti-abortion legislation, making the procedure a felony in nearly all cases.
The Republican governor signed the bill a day after it passed the state Senate in a 25-6 vote. The new law prohibits all abortions in the state, except when “necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk” to the woman.
Up until Wednesday, Ivey had withheld public comment on the legislation.
The law establishes a direct challenge to the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which recognized a woman’s constitutional right to end a pregnancy.
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) expressed outrage at the bill’s passage.
“You just raped every woman who’s been raped by a man,” Singleton yelled Tuesday night from the Senate gallery floor after the vote. “You just raped her all over again.”
Under the new law, a woman receiving an abortion would not be criminally liable. However, the doctor would be charged with a Class A felony, punishable by 10 to 99 years in prison.