Tagged: Alabama abortion clinics bill

Alabama's governor says he plans to sign legislation mandating stricter abortion clinic standards like Mississippi has done.

Opponents say Alabama's legislation will be challenged in court like Mississippi's.

The Republican-led House and Senate approved the bill Tuesday night, mostly along party lines. It now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley. He said Thursday he plans to sign it after his lawyers make sure there have been no unanticipated changes from the bill he endorsed early in the legislative session.

A rally to defeat a bill that would impose restrictive rules for Alabama's abortion clinics drew advocates to the Statehouse steps on Tuesday.

Organizers from Planned Parenthood and several Democratic legislators spoke to a crowd of about 200 people urging defeat of HB57. Several speakers asserted that by imposing more restrictions on women's health clinics, the legislature is attempting to limit access to constitutionally guaranteed abortion care.

The Alabama Legislature is returning from its spring break and beginning the second half of its 2013 session.

The House Ways and Means-Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the state education budget for Tuesday morning. The House has a proposed work agenda Tuesday afternoon that includes a bill to legalize home brewing of beer and wine.

A state Senate committee is scheduled to vote in one week on a bill that would establish tighter regulations for abortion clinics.

The Senate Health Committee heard public comments on the bill Wednesday and set a vote for next Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin of Pelham, has already cleared the House. A favorable vote by the Senate committee would send the bill to the full Senate for a final vote.

Under the bill, doctors who perform abortions would be required to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.

The Alabama House has passed legislation that would stiffen the requirements for abortion clinics in the state. Opponents of the bill said the tougher rules would force most abortion clinics to close.

The bill would place requirements on the facilities such as requiring clinics to have wider hallways. The bill would require clinics to have a doctor available when an abortion is performed.

The Alabama House's Health Committee is scheduled to consider two controversial issues as the 2013 session cranks up..

The committee will on Wednesday consider a bill by Democratic Rep. Patricia Todd of Birmingham to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in Alabama. The bill is the first item on the House Health Committee agenda on the first committee meeting day during the 2013 regular session of the Alabama Legislature.

The Health Committee is scheduled to meet at the conclusion of the House session, probably about 9:30 a.m.