REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Alabama Supreme Court rules 8-1 that all un-implanted embryos are legal children. Meaning that every fertilized egg in an invitro-fertilization procedure has standing as a born human baby.This essentially bans fertility clinics.
Further, this phrase: “The 8-1 ruling applies The Wrongful Death of a Child Act to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” Suggesting lawmakers there intend to prosecute Alabama residents for procedures done over state lines, outside AL jurisdiction, as they are already threatening to do with abortion care.
I should also note, this threatens to criminalize certain contraceptives, such as IUDs, hormonal birth control, and Plan B medications. Because all of them may expel a fertilized egg.
Then the owners of such embryos can get them social security numbers and claim them on taxes. Right?
Someone has to be the first to try. I remember reading about the pregnant woman from Texas that got a ticket for being in the HOV lane alone. She argued that her unborn child qualified as a passenger since Roe was overturned and the state passed laws saying her fetus was indeed a person. A judge dismissed her ticket because under current law she was right.
I’m sure someone will try. But then the question is, how long before they change the laws again. Or worse yet, they remove the benefits altogether. I don’t think the general population would be happy about the latter.